a fatty substance consisting of a mixture of glycerides, including stearic, palmitic, and oleic acids and extracted chiefly from the suet of sheep and cattle: used for making soap, candles, food, etc
- (transitive)
to cover or smear with tallow
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
tal•low /ˈtæloʊ/USA pronunciation
n. [uncountable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- a hard, fatty substance used to make candles and soap.
tal•low
(tal′ō),USA pronunciation n.
v.t.
- the fatty tissue or suet of animals.
- the harder fat of sheep, cattle, etc., separated by melting from the fibrous and membranous matter naturally mixed with it, and used to make candles, soap, etc.
- any of various similar fatty substances:vegetable tallow.
v.t.
- to smear with tallow.
- 1300–50; Middle English talow, talgh; cognate with German Talg
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