Nonfat

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /nɒnˈfæt/

Definitions

1. Describing food, it refers to items that have minimal or no fat content and are often marketed towards those looking to maintain a healthy diet
2. This term indicates the presence of products that are low in fat, commonly appealing to health-focused consumers seeking alternatives
3. Referring to foods or ingredients that have had the fat removed or greatly reduced

Etymology: "Nonfat" is a plain compound: the prefix "non-" joined to the adjective "fat," meaning "not fat" or "without fat." The prefix traces back to Old English "nān," a contraction of "ne" (not) and "ān" (one), which meant "not one," "none" or "no." Over the Middle English period it shortened to "non-" and came to work as a negating prefix attached to other words, so "nonfat" follows the same pattern as "nonstop" or "nonprofit." The base word "fat" is older still, coming from Old English "fætt," and it has long meant the greasy substance of animal or plant tissue. Attaching "non-" to it produces a label for food that has had that fat taken out, most familiar on milk and yogurt products.

Synonyms: fat-free, low-fat

Antonyms: fatty, full-fat