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suet

American  
[soo-it] / ˈsu ɪt /

noun

  1. the hard fatty tissue about the loins and kidneys of beef, sheep, etc., used in cooking or processed to yield tallow.

suet British  
/ ˈsjuːɪt, ˈsuːɪt /

noun

  1. a hard waxy fat around the kidneys and loins in sheep, cattle, etc, used in cooking and making tallow

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • suety adjective

Etymology

Origin of suet

1350–1400; Middle English sewet < Anglo-French *suet, equivalent to su-, sew (< Latin sēbum tallow) + -et -et

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

However, it says small amounts of mealworms, fat balls and suet – enough for a day or two at most - can still be offered throughout the year.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

“We were born in the Second World War, 1944 and we had rations — we were living on suet and you were living on steak here,” Daltrey said in his own interview.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 16, 2025

Tan hopes that the mealworms, tiny balls of suet and sunflower chips she leaves on the patio will ensure more fledglings reach adulthood.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 30, 2024

One landing on a deck suet feeder is enough to startle anyone.

From Slate • May 27, 2023

"Wh- what . . . what do you . . . ?" His Jowls were quivering like mounds of suet.

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.