lipid

noun

lip·​id ˈli-pəd 

variants or less commonly lipide

ˈli-ˌpīd 

: any of various substances that are soluble in nonpolar organic solvents (such as chloroform and ether), that are usually insoluble in water, that with proteins and carbohydrates constitute the principal structural components of living cells, and that include fats, waxes, phosphatides, cerebrosides, and related and derived compounds

lipidic

li-ˈpi-dik 

adjective

Examples of lipid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

After 12 weeks, participants in all three groups showed significant weight loss, waist and hip circumference reductions, and positive changes in lipid and glucose levels. —Lauryn Higgins, Health, 4 June 2024

Choline supplements come in various forms, including phosphatidylcholine, which is choline attached to a phospholipid (a lipid (fat) that contains phosphorus) from soy lecithin or egg yolk. —Sarah Anzlovar, Ms, Rd, Verywell Health, 4 June 2024

Currently, many of the raw materials and critical components required to make a vaccine against a new strain—including filters, tubes, and the lipids to make nanoparticles—are in very short supply. —Nicole Lurie, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2021

Squeeze the membrane just a little bit, and the lipids condense into a highly aligned liquid crystal. —Douglas Fox, Scientific American, 1 Apr. 2018

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1912, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

lipid

noun

lip·​id ˈlip-əd 

: any of various substances (as fats and waxes) that with proteins and carbohydrates make up the principal structural parts of living cells

Medical Definition

lipid

noun

lip·​id ˈlip-əd 

variants also lipide

-ˌīd 

: any of various substances that are soluble in nonpolar organic solvents (as chloroform and ether), that with proteins and carbohydrates constitute the principal structural components of living cells, and that include fats, waxes, phospholipids, cerebrosides, and related and derived compounds