/ English Dictionary |
LIPOID
Pronunciation (US): | (GB): |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
An oily organic compound insoluble in water but soluble in organic solvents; essential structural component of living cells (along with proteins and carbohydrates)
Synonyms:
Classified under:
Hypernyms ("lipoid" is a kind of...):
macromolecule; supermolecule (any very large complex molecule; found only in plants and animals)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "lipoid"):
fat (a soft greasy substance occurring in organic tissue and consisting of a mixture of lipids (mostly triglycerides))
triglyceride (glyceride occurring naturally in animal and vegetable tissues; it consists of three individual fatty acids bound together in a single large molecule; an important energy source forming much of the fat stored by the body)
oil (a slippery or viscous liquid or liquefiable substance not miscible with water)
phospholipid (any of various compounds composed of fatty acids and phosphoric acid and a nitrogenous base; an important constituent of membranes)
wax (any of various substances of either mineral origin or plant or animal origin; they are solid at normal temperatures and insoluble in water)