fatten

verb fat·ten \ ˈfa-tᵊn \

|Updated on: 11 Jul 2018

Definition of fatten

fattened; fattening play \ˈfat-niŋ, ˈfa-tə-niŋ\

transitive verb

1 a : to make fat, fleshy, or plump; especially : to feed (an animal) for slaughter

b : to make more substantial

2 : to make fertile

intransitive verb

: to become fat

—

fattener

play \ˈfat-nər, ˈfa-tə-nər\ noun

See fatten defined for English-language learners

See fatten defined for kids

Recent Examples of fatten from the Web

As the bundles have fattened, so too have the prices, Sappington said.

— jennifer van grove, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Price hikes for cord-cutters. What gives?," 7 July 2018
That situation has allowed Texas to fatten its rainy day fund to $11 billion, Whitley says, while forcing local governments to pay a higher share of costs once shouldered by the state.

— gordon dickson and nicholas sakelaris, star-telegram, "Priced out of their home? North Texans see tax bill rise $1,200 in five years," 6 July 2018
Now that chicks have fledged, territories will be abandoned and attention will turn to fattening up for migration.

— taylor piephoff, charlotteobserver, "Bird activity slows this time of year, but it’ll pick up soon," 27 June 2018
Ford notes, standing beside a tank where a couple of dozen of them are fattening up on kelp.

— degen pener, Los Angeles Magazine, "What’s Being Done to Revive L.A.’s Decimated Abalone Population," 22 June 2018
However, a portion of the increase could be a result of the recent federal tax cuts, which have fattened some U.S. workers' paychecks since about late February.

— jc reindl, Detroit Free Press, "Caesars Windsor set to resume strike talks as Detroit casinos see gains," 14 May 2018
Yes, every game counts and their division opponents get to play those same woeful clubs, but the fact is the Brewers fattened their record against the dregs of the big leagues.

— tom haudricourt, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Haudricourt: Pitching carried Brewers in April but schedule gets more difficult in May," 4 May 2018
Pioneering fish farms in Mexico are now raising the species, fattening tons of fish in massive underwater pens.

— pm editors, Popular Mechanics, "110 Predictions For the Next 110 Years," 10 Dec. 2012
Large herds of walrus bulls fattening up for summer in Bristol Bay have found a new spot to hang out, near a village on the Alaska Peninsula where they haven't been seen in decades.

— alex demarban, Anchorage Daily News, "‘Bachelor herds’ of walrus gather near Port Heiden, where they haven’t been seen in decades," 9 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fatten.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of fatten

circa 1552

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

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FATTEN Defined for English Language Learners

fatten

verb

Definition of fatten for English Language Learners

: to make (someone or something) fat
: to become fat

FATTEN Defined for Kids

fatten

verb fat·ten \ ˈfa-tᵊn \

Definition of fatten for Students

fattened; fattening

: to make or become fat

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See words that rhyme with fatten Spanish Central: Translation of fatten Nglish: Translation of fatten for Spanish speakers

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fatten

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fattener

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fatten

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fatten

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fattener

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