fatberg

noun

fat·​berg ˈfat-ˌbərg How to pronounce fatberg (audio)
plural fatbergs
: a large mass of fat and solid waste that collects in a sewer system
The toxic lump of congealed fat and household waste—known as a fatberg—was 40 metres long and so heavy that it broke the 1940s-era sewer.Rebecca Ratcliffe
Restaurants are a big contributor to fatbergs: Thames Water, the London utilities company, found nine out of 10 fast-food eateries lacked adequate grease traps to stop fat from entering the sewers.Eve Watling

Examples of fatberg in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The sewer has a fatberg. Will Pritchard, Wired, 13 Nov. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fatberg.' 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

fat entry 3 + (ice)berg

First Known Use

2008, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fatberg was in 2008

Dictionary Entries Near fatberg

Cite this Entry

“Fatberg.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fatberg. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.

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