fish oil

noun

: a fatty oil from the bodies of various fishes (such as menhaden or sardines) that contains large amounts of unsaturated fatty acids and is used as a dietary supplement and in making various products (such as cosmetics and paints)

Examples of fish oil in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Additionally, fish oil use was linked to a buildup of a protein called tau, which is often associated with long-term brain diseases. —Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026

Omega-3 supplements, also called fish oil supplements, contain a type of fat found in shellfish and cold-water fish like salmon, mackerel, and tuna. —Colleen Doherty, Verywell Health, 28 Apr. 2026

What is the best fish oil supplement to buy? —Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026

Vitamins were most common (65%), followed by minerals (54%), multivitamins (47%) and omega-3 or fish oil products (44%). —Robert Pearl, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1654, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for fish oil

• airfoil
• benzoyl
• despoil
• embroil
• etoile
• gargoyle
• recoil
• subsoil
• tinfoil
• topsoil
• trefoil
• turmoil

Medical Definition

fish oil

noun

: a fatty oil that is obtained from oily fish (such as herring or menhaden), contains large amounts of unsaturated fatty acids, and is used as a dietary supplement and in making various products (such as protective coatings, cosmetics, and animal feed)

Scientists learned some time ago that there are significant health benefits from consuming omega-3 fatty acids, which are found mostly in fish oils, algal oils, and linseed oil.

—Felicia M. Willis, Today's Chemist at Work