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Added 9 October 2026

tallow

/ˈtæləʊ/ noun

In Latin: sēbum Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about tallow at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A hard animal fat obtained from suet, etc.; used in cooking as well as to make candles, soap and lubricants.

verb

To grease or smear with tallow.
To cause to have a large quantity of tallow; to fatten.
to tallow sheep
Of animals: to develop quantities of tallow.

Origin

From Middle English talow, talgh, from Old English *tealh, *tealg, (compare Old English tælg, telg (“dye”)), from Proto-West Germanic *talg, from Proto-Germanic *talgaz (compare Dutch talg, German Talg), from Proto-Indo-European *del- (“to flow”) (compare Middle Irish delt (“dew”), Old Armenian տեղ (teł, “heavy rain”)).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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