oleomargarine

O`le*o*mar"ga*rine, n. Etym: [L. oleum oil + E. margarine, margarin.] [Written also oleomargarin.] 1. A liquid oil made from animal fats (esp. beef fat) by separating the greater portion of the solid fat or stearin, by crystallization. It is mainly a mixture of olein and palmitin with some little stearin. 2. An artificial butter made by churning this oil with more or less milk. Note: Oleomargarine was wrongly so named, as it contains no margarin proper, but olein, palmitin, and stearin, a mixture of palmitin and stearin having formerly been called margarin by mistake.

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