high-fat
UK[ˌhaɪ ˈfæt]US[ˌhaɪ ˈfæt]
adj
Containing a large amount of fat
Morpheme Breakdown
high
fat
high
large amount
fat
fatty substance
Etymology
The compound adjective "high-fat" is a modern English formation following a transparent Germanic pattern of adjective-noun compounding. The element "high" extends its meaning from physical elevation to indicate a high degree or concentration, a semantic shift evident since Middle English. "Fat" retains its core Germanic sense of the oily substance. Combined, the term literally means "having a high degree of fat," directly describing the nutritional composition of food. This logical, descriptive construction is typical of scientific and nutritional terminology developed in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Analysis
Structure: high (large amount) + fat (fatty substance)
- high: From Old English hēah, meaning "tall, lofty, high in position or degree." In this compound, it functions as an intensifier denoting a large quantity or degree.
- fat: From Old English fǣtt, meaning "fatty, fatted." It functions as the core noun element, referring to the greasy substance found in animal bodies and some plant tissues.
Examples
Many processed foods are high in sugar and high-fat.
For a healthier diet, doctors recommend choosing low-fat yogurt over the high-fat version.
The study compared the effects of a high-fat diet with those of a carbohydrate-rich one.