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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
The sewer has a fatberg. Will Pritchard, Wired, 13 Nov. 2021

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 9 Nov. 2024.

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