Steatocyte

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A cell that stores fat, found in adipose tissue where it accumulates and releases lipid reserves for the body
2. A specialized cell within fatty tissue that holds lipid droplets and serves as the body's energy reserve
3. An adipose cell that takes up and keeps fats, forming the building blocks of the body's fat deposits

Etymology: In ancient Greek, "stear" meant hard animal fat, especially suet, and the same root gave English "stearic," the name of a fatty acid found in such fats. "Steatocyte" combines the Greek genitive "steatos" with "kytos," meaning a hollow vessel, which came to mean "cell" in biology. Together they name a cell that stores fat. Ancient Greek writers had no such term. It is a modern scientific coinage built from classical Greek parts, the kind of formation used to name cells and tissues once microscopes made them visible. Its meaning is transparent to anyone who knows those two roots.

Synonyms: adipocyte, fat cell, lipocyte