lipid

lip·id

noun \ˈli-pəd\

Definition of LIPID

: any of various substances that are soluble in nonpolar organic solvents (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

— li·pid·ic \li-ˈpi-dik\ adjective

Variants of LIPID

lip·id also lip·ide \-ˌpīd\

Origin of LIPID

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use: 1912

lip·id

noun \ˈlip-əd\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of LIPID

: 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

Variants of LIPID

lip·id also lip·ide \-ˌīd\ (audio pronunciation)

lipid

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Any of a diverse group of organic compounds that are grouped together because they do not interact appreciably with water. One of the three large classes of substances in foods and living cells, lipids contain more than twice as much energy (calories) per unit of weight as the other two (proteins and carbohydrates). They include the fats and edible oils (e.g., butter, olive oil, corn oil), which are primarily triglycerides; phospholipids (e.g., lecithin), which are important in cell structure and metabolism; waxes of animal or plant origin; and sphingolipids, complex substances found in various tissues of the brain and nervous system. Since insolubility is the defining characteristic, cholesterol and related steroids, carotenoids (see carotene), prostaglandins, and various other compounds are also classifiable as lipids.