omega-3 fatty acid

US: (ō mē′gə thrē′, ō mā′-, ō meg′ə-)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

o•me′ga-3 fat′ty ac′id  (ō mē′gə thrē′, ō mā′-, ō meg′ə-), 

1. Biochemistry a polyunsaturated fatty acid, essential for normal retinal function, that influences various metabolic pathways, resulting in lowered cholesterol and triglyceride levels, inhibited platelet clotting, and reduced inflammatory and immune reactions. Also called n-3 fatty acid. 

• so named because its 1st double bond occurs after the 3d carbon atom counting from the methyl or omega end of the molecule

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

omega-3 fatty acid noun

1. an unsaturated fatty acid that occurs naturally in fish oil and is valuable in reducing blood-cholesterol levels