: an unsaturated fatty acid characterized by a trans arrangement of alkyl chains that is formed especially during the hydrogenation of vegetable oils and has been linked to an increase in blood cholesterol

Word History

First Known Use

1953, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of trans-fatty acid was in 1953

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Cite this Entry

“Trans-fatty acid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trans-fatty%20acid. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Medical Definition

: any of various unsaturated fatty acids that are characterized by a trans arrangement of alkyl chains, that are formed especially during the hydrogenation of vegetable oils, and that have been linked to an increase in blood cholesterol

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