fat

Reading level: medium

Estimated CEFR level: B1 — Intermediate

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun a soft greasy substance occurring in organic tissue and consisting of a mixture of lipids (mostly triglycerides)
  2. noun a kind of body tissue containing stored fat that serves as a source of energy; it also cushions and insulates vital organs
  3. noun excess bodily weight

Etymology

From Middle English fat, from Old English fǣtt (“fatted, fat”), from Proto-West Germanic *faitid (“fatted”), originally the past participle of the verb *faitijan (“to make fat”), from *fait (“fat”).

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