fish oil

noun

: a fatty oil from the bodies of various fishes (such as menhaden or sardines) that contains large amounts of unsaturated fatty acids and is used as a dietary supplement and in making various products (such as cosmetics and paints)

Examples of fish oil in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Marketers overstate fish oil claims for heart health, study shows Vitamin D supplements didn’t prevent kids’ broken bones, study finds Cases have also been reported elsewhere in the world. —Meeri Kim, Washington Post, 25 June 2024

In addition to turkey, the recipe contained chickpeas, spinach, carrots, parsnips, fish oil, and a bevy of vitamins and minerals. —Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 21 June 2024

The omega-3 fish oil in this supplement is sourced from small fish to limit mercury exposure, and there are no synthetic colors or flavors added either. —Casey Seiden, Verywell Health, 19 June 2024

Some 90% of aquatic animals that are farmed or fished go to human consumption, with the remainder going to other uses like feed for other animals or fish oils. —Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 8 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1785, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

fish oil

noun

: a fatty oil that is obtained from oily fish (such as herring or menhaden), contains large amounts of unsaturated fatty acids, and is used as a dietary supplement and in making various products (such as protective coatings, cosmetics, and animal feed)

Scientists learned some time ago that there are significant health benefits from consuming omega-3 fatty acids, which are found mostly in fish oils, algal oils, and linseed oil.

—Felicia M. Willis, Today's Chemist at Work