omega-3 fatty acid

o·me·ga-3 fatty acid  (-mg-thr, -mg-, -m-)

n.

Any of several polyunsaturated fatty acids found in leafy green vegetables, vegetable oils, and fish such as salmon and mackerel, capable of reducing serum cholesterol levels and having anticoagulant properties.

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omega-3 fatty acid

Any of several polyunsaturated fatty acids found in leafy green vegetables, vegetable oils, and cold-water fish such as salmon and mackerel. These acids are capable of reducing serum cholesterol levels and have anticoagulant properties. Omega-3 fatty acids are chemically characterized by having a double bond three carbon atoms away from one end of their carbon chain.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

omega-3 fatty acid - a polyunsaturated fatty acid whose carbon chain has its first double valence bond three carbons from the beginning omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid - a polyunsaturated fatty acid with 18 carbon atoms; the only omega-3 fatty acid found in vegetable products; it is most abundant in canola oil; a fatty acid essential for nutrition polyunsaturated fatty acid - an unsaturated fatty acid whose carbon chain has more than one double or triple valence bond per molecule; found chiefly in fish and corn and soybean oil and safflower oil docosahexaenoic acid - an omega-3 fatty acid with 22 carbon atoms; found in fish (especially tuna and bluefish) eicosapentaenoic acid - an omega-3 fatty acid with 20 carbon atoms; found in fish (especially tuna and bluefish)