ˈ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ˌ ̷ ̷ noun
: the natural fat of milk and the chief component of butter that consists essentially of a mixture of glycerides derived from lower fatty acids (as butyric acid) as well as from higher fatty acids and has a melting range low enough that the fat becomes liquid in the mouth, the amount of fat in dairy products serving as one of the main criteria of their quality