lard

1 of 2

verb

larded; larding; lards

transitive verb

1
a
: to dress (meat) for cooking by inserting or covering with something (such as strips of fat)
b
: to cover or soil with grease
2
: to augment or intersperse especially with something superfluous or excessive
the book is larded with subplots
3
obsolete : to make rich with or as if with fat

lard

2 of 2

noun

: a soft white solid or semisolid fat obtained by rendering fatty pork
lardy adjective

Examples of lard in a Sentence

Verb a roast larded with bacon
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The suit claims the documents larded the value of such prominent and personally significant holdings as his Trump Tower penthouse in New York and his Mar-a-Lago club and home in Florida, as well as golf courses, hotels, a Wall Street office building and more. Jennifer Peltz The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 14 Dec. 2023 Internet video giant YouTube larded its coffers with $7.95 billion in ad revenue for third quarter of 2023, representing a 12.5% year-over-year increase, as parent Alphabet overall topped Wall Street forecasts. Todd Spangler, Variety, 24 Oct. 2023 Scorsese lards the supporting cast with musicians like Jason Isbell and Jack White; by far the most impressive is Sturgill Simpson, who provides a welcome gleam of sly humor as one of Hale’s moonshining henchmen. Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2023 There are concerns that the bill is being larded up with red tape, or non-core progressive priorities, that will undermine the bill. Joe Weisenthal, Bloomberg.com, 13 Apr. 2023 While there are a few pieces of classic modern furniture, including chairs by Roland Rainer and Eames, the designers avoided larding the space with pricey finds. Nancy Hass, ELLE Decor, 15 Apr. 2023 Piccata is an Italian word for larded, which some say derives from the French word pique, or piquant, which means tangy, spicy, sharp, zesty and so on (the synonyms abound). Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 12 Apr. 2023 Tamales are a staple of Christmases and birthdays, the inspiration for the farming town of Somerton’s December Tamale Festival and the subject of passionate debate: Lard or no lard? Jack Healy, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2023 Add to this that Robert Mueller, that senescent Washington fixture, larded his staff with activist Democrats whose indictments were long on political narrative but short on actual crimes. Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 22 Apr. 2020
Noun
The Polish Catholics brought the tradition of using up and clearing pantries of fats such as butter and lard and sweets, ahead of the Lent, the 40 days of fasting and reflection leading to Easter. Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 13 Feb. 2024 Though some use vegetable oil to supplement their tang yuan filling, Lee is a traditionalist, delicately crushing his black sesame with lard to create a gooey filling that spills out of its white shell. Catherine Duncan, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Feb. 2024 Then, mix in the special Chinese ingredient, lard, to form a paste. Catherine Duncan, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Feb. 2024 While biscuits and scones share a British heritage, biscuits in the United States evolved to contain lard and buttermilk, widely available in the Southern states, while scones included eggs and cream in the mix for a light, somewhat crumbly texture. Joy Howard, Southern Living, 5 Dec. 2023 Brioche, a soft, lightly sweet, rich bread, is believed to be the base of la concha but elevated with indigenous ingredients in some of its variations, such as using lard instead of butter. Daniela Cintron, Los Angeles Times, 29 Nov. 2023 Don't season your pan with lard, which can go rancid (melted shortening is fine to use). Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 20 Nov. 2023 But the beans and eggs, made with unknowable (and probably unthinkable) quantities of lard, have been a constant for more than three quarters of a century. Jorge Valencia Mariano Fernandez, New York Times, 14 Nov. 2023 Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crust The ingredients: Instead of butter or oil, Pillsbury opts for hydrogenated lard. Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 3 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lard.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English larden, borrowed from Anglo-French larder (also continental Old French), derivative of lard "bacon, lard entry 2"

Noun

Middle English lard, larde "fat pork cured in brine or smoked, bacon, lard," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French lard, larde, lart (also continental Old French), going back to Latin lāridum, lārdum "bacon," perhaps borrowed, with change of suffix, from Greek lārīnós "(of a bull or ox) fattened," of uncertain origin

Note: Greek lārīnós has been compared with lārós "pleasing, delicious (of a meal, wine)" and apolaúein "to have pleasure or enjoyment, benefit," though the derivational details are far from clear if there is actually a relationship.

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lard was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near lard

Cite this Entry

“Lard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lard. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

lard

1 of 2 verb
1
: to insert strips of usually pork fat into meat before cooking
2
: to smear with lard, fat, or grease
3
: to add something extra and unnecessary to

lard

2 of 2 noun
: a soft white fat from the fatty tissue of the hog

Medical Definition

lard

noun
: adeps
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