phospholipid

noun

phos·​pho·​lip·​id ˌfäs-fō-ˈli-pəd 

: any of various phosphorus-containing complex lipids (such as lecithins and phosphatidylethanolamines) that are derived from glycerol and are major constituents of the membranes of cells and intracellular organelles and vesicles

Note: Phospholipids typically consist of a hydrophilic polar phosphate head and a hydrophobic tail of two fatty acids. In aqueous environments, phospholipids typically form semipermeable bilayers in which the hydrophilic heads point outward and the hydrophobic tails point inward toward each other.

Examples of phospholipid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Remnants of animal or plant fats and phospholipids, ingredients that hinted at something once organic, maybe even ritualistic. —Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 10 Aug. 2025

Some dailies, for example, are coated with phospholipid, which is what cell membranes are made of. —Angela Haupt, Time, 7 Aug. 2025

Human and mouse cell membranes carry some of the same phospholipids as those in fungi, notes Arun Maji, an expert in drug design at the University of Kentucky. —Bykai Kupferschmidt, science.org, 19 Mar. 2025

However, Thorne's supplement contains a phospholipid (type of fat molecule) derived from sunflower, which helps absorption. —Jamie Wolff, Health, 14 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1925, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for phospholipid

• glycolipid

Kids Definition

phospholipid

noun

phos·​pho·​lip·​id ˌfäs-fō-ˈlip-əd 

: a phosphorus-containing fatty substance that forms the main structural part of a cell membrane

Medical Definition

phospholipid

noun

phos·​pho·​lip·​id -ˈlip-əd 

variants also phospholipide

-ˌīd 

: any of various phosphorus-containing complex lipids (such as lecithins and phosphatidylethanolamines) that are derived from glycerol and are major constituents of the membranes of cells and intracellular organelles and vesicles

Note: Phospholipids typically consist of a hydrophilic polar phosphate head and a hydrophobic tail of two fatty acids. In aqueous environments, phospholipids typically form semipermeable bilayers in which the hydrophilic heads point outward and the hydrophobic tails point inward toward each other.

called also phosphatide, phospholipin