- fat
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I. adjective
(fatter; fattest)
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English fǣtt, past participle of fǣtan to cram; akin to Old High German feizit fat
Date: before 12th century
1. notable for having an unusual amount of fat:
a. plump
b. obese
c. of a meat animal fattened for market
d. of food oily, greasy
2.
a. well filled out ; thick, big <a fat book> b. full in tone and quality ; rich <a gorgeous fat bass voice — Irish Digest> c. well stocked <a fat larder> d. prosperous, wealthy <grew fat on the war — Time> e. being substantial and impressive <a fat bank account> 3. a. richly rewarding or profitable <a fat part in a movie> <a fat contract> b. practically nonexistent <a fat chance> 4. productive, fertile <a fat year for crops> 5. stupid, foolish 6. being swollen <got a fat lip from the fight> 7. of a baseball pitch easy to hit • fatness noun II. transitive verb (fatted; fatting) Date: before 12th century to make fat ; fatten III. noun Date: 14th century 1. animal tissue consisting chiefly of cells distended with greasy or oily matter 2. a. oily or greasy matter making up the bulk of adipose tissue and often abundant in seeds b. any of various compounds of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen that are glycerides of fatty acids, are the chief constituents of plant and animal fat, are a major class of energy-rich food, and are soluble in organic solvents but not in water c. a solid or semisolid fat as distinguished from an oil 3. the best or richest part 4. obesity 5. something in excess ; superfluity <trim the fat from the news operation — Ray Olson> • fatless adjective
New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.
