saturated fat

noun

Nutrition.

1. a type of single-bond animal or vegetable fat, as that found in butter, meat, egg yolks, and coconut or palm oil, that in humans tends to increase cholesterol levels in the blood.

saturated fat

1. A fat with a triglyceride molecule containing three saturated fatty acids. All carbon atoms in the fatty acid chains of saturated fats are connected by single bonds. Most fats derived from animal sources are saturated fats. Eating foods high in saturated fats can lead to elevated cholesterol levels in the blood.

2. Compare unsaturated fat

Word History and Origins

Origin of saturated fat¹

First recorded in 1970–75