fatberg
noun
fat·berg
ˈfat-ˌbərg 
plural fatbergs
: a large mass of fat and solid waste that collects in a sewer system
The toxic lump of congealed fat and household waste—known as a fatberg—was 40 metres long and so heavy that it broke the 1940s-era sewer.—
Rebecca Ratcliffe
Rebecca RatcliffeRestaurants are a big contributor to fatbergs: Thames Water, the London utilities company, found nine out of 10 fast-food eateries lacked adequate grease traps to stop fat from entering the sewers.—Eve Watling
Eve WatlingExamples of fatberg in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Better pipes = fewer fatbergs For the second part of their one-two punch, engineers from the same research center developed a new coating for the interior walls of sewer pipes.
—
Abhimanyu Ghoshal,
New Atlas,
25 Aug. 2025
In 2019, a 40-ton fatberg in London took three weeks to clear with eight people working nine hours each day on the task.
—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
21 Aug. 2025
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Abhimanyu Ghoshal,
New Atlas,
25 Aug. 2025
In 2019, a 40-ton fatberg in London took three weeks to clear with eight people working nine hours each day on the task.
—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
21 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fatberg.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fatberg. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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