tallow
tallow Lexical Profile
tallow Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A hard, white fatty substance made by rendering the suet of cattle or sheep, used in traditional cooking, frying, and pastry making, as well as in the manufacture of soap, candles, and lubricants.
"The chef fried the potatoes in rendered beef tallow to give them a rich, savory flavor and a crisp texture."
Any similar solid, waxy fat extracted from plants or seeds, such as vegetable tallow from the Chinese tallow tree, used in candle and soap making.
"Artisans harvested waxy seeds to produce vegetable tallow for their traditional candles."
• verb
To smear, coat, or grease with tallow, such as to waterproof leather or lubricate machinery.
"The cobbler carefully tallowed the heavy work boots to protect the leather from winter moisture."
To fatten animals (especially sheep or cattle) so that they yield an abundance of tallow.
"The grazier sought rich autumn pastures to tallow the sheep before market."
Word Nuance & Usage
'Tallow' specifically refers to rendered suet (the hard fat of cattle or sheep), whereas 'lard' refers to rendered pig fat.
• Rhymes for tallow
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English talgh, probably derived from Middle Low German talg ('suet, tallow'), from a Proto-Germanic root meaning 'to solidify' or 'congeal'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.