Lipid
/ˈlɪp.ɪd/noun
Any of a group of naturally occurring fatty substances, including fats, oils, waxes, and certain related compounds.
Did you know?“Lipid” was coined in modern scientific Latin from Greek *lipos* (“fat”), and the same ancient root also survives in words like *oligolipid* and *lipoma*, showing how biology still speaks in old Greek.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
λίπος (lipos)
“fat, grease”
19th Century
French/English
lipide
“a fat-like substance”
19th Century
English
lipid
“a class of fat-like compounds”
Modern English
English
lipid
“any of a group of naturally occurring fats and fat-like substances”
Explore more surprising origins