any of a large group of organic compounds that are esters of fatty acids (simple lipids, such as fats and waxes) or closely related substances (compound lipids, such as phospholipids): usually insoluble in water but soluble in alcohol and other organic solvents. They are important structural materials in living organisms
Former name: lipoid
Word origin
C20: from French lipide, from Greek lipos fat
lipid in American English
(ˈlɪpɪd)
noun
any of a group of organic compounds consisting of the fats and other substances ofsimilar properties: they are insoluble in water, soluble in fat solvents and alcohol,and greasy to the touch, and are important constituents of living cells
: also ˈlipˌide (ˈlɪpˌaɪd; ˈlɪpɪd)
Word origin
lipo- + -id
Examples of 'lipid' in a sentence
lipid
But as he consumed sugars, amino acids, and rich lipid molecules, he felt himself swelling, growing vaster, becoming ready to divide in two.
Zindell, David THE BROKEN GOD (2002)
But it will rupture a lot of cell membranes, leaving behind all those membranes as a lipid crud.