fat cell

noun

: a specialized cell of adipose tissue that stores excess energy in the form of triglyceride droplets : adipocyte

When food is not available and insulin levels fall, the fat cells release triglycerides back into the bloodstream, where they are transported to the liver and broken down into ketones, which can serve as fuel for muscle and the brain.

—Jeffrey S. Flier et al.

Cellulite is formed by a collection of fat cells around the fibrous cords that attach skin to muscle.

—Jeannie Ralston

Examples of fat cell in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Exposure to sunlight can damage DNA and lead to skin cancer, for example, while fat cells produce hormones that can feed certain cancers. —Deidre McPhillips, CNN, 11 July 2024

One study found that the sun's rays may shrink the fat cells beneath your top layer of skin when exposed to the sun. —Sherri Gordon, Health, 9 July 2024

Insulin, another hormone, binds to the same fat cells. —Ross Wollen, EverydayHealth.com, 8 July 2024

And while obesity is linked to cancer, the link arises from a complex interplay of hormone signaling in fat cells and resultant inflammation, not any specific diet. —David Robert Grimes, Scientific American, 1 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1840, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

fat cell

noun

: any of the fat-containing cells that make up the connective tissue in which bodily fat is stored

Medical Definition

fat cell

noun

: a specialized cell of adipose tissue that stores excess energy in the form of triglyceride droplets : adipocyte

When food is not available and insulin levels fall, the fat cells release triglycerides back into the bloodstream, where they are transported to the liver and broken down into ketones, which can serve as fuel for muscle and the brain.

—Jeffrey S. Flier et al.

compare lipocyte