drippings

IPA/dɹˈɪpɪŋz/
IPA/dɹˈɪpɪŋz/

drippings — noun

1. the liquid fat and natural juices that collect in the pan or dish when meat is c

1.nounB1
Definition

the liquid fat and natural juices that collect in the pan or dish when meat is cooked in the oven or on the stove, sometimes used to make gravy or add flavour to other dishes.

Example

Diego saved the drippings from the roasted chicken to make gravy for the potatoes.

collocation: save the drippings

The drippings from the pork roast were mixed with flour to create a thick sauce.

passive: drippings were mixed

Common collocations
  • save the drippings
  • pour off the drippings
  • use the drippings
  • pan drippings
  • turkey drippings
  • chicken drippings
  • roast drippings
Synonyms
  • fat

    broader term; drippings are specifically the fat released during cooking, not solid fat from raw meat

  • juices

    overlaps in meaning but emphasises liquid from the meat itself rather than the melted fat

  • gravy

    different — gravy is a sauce made from drippings plus thickener and seasoning

Grammar Patterns

the drippings + plural verb

Usage Note

Only used in the plural form. Although the fat and juices form a single mass, the word takes a plural verb (e.g. The drippings are poured into a jar).

Common Mistakes

The dripping from the chicken was used for gravy.
The drippings from the chicken were used for gravy.
drippings is always plural; there is no singular form for this meaning.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words relate to the liquid released from meat during cooking, but they differ in scope and use. Fat is the broadest term — it can refer to the hard white layer on uncooked meat or the melted oil during cooking, and it does not have to come from meat (e.g. vegetable fat). Juices refers specifically to the natural liquid inside the meat cells that runs out when the meat is cut or cooked; it sounds more like a thin, clear liquid than a fatty one. Drippings is narrower: it means the mixture of melted fat and juices that collects in the pan while meat roasts, and it is almost always used in recipes. Gravy is a different thing entirely — it is a sauce made by thickening drippings with flour or cornstarch and adding seasoning. In practice, a cook saves the drippings, then turns them into gravy.

drippings ↗fat ↗juices ↗gravy ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • pan drippings
  • turkey drippings
  • chicken drippings
  • roast drippings

Phrases

  • save the drippings
  • pour off the drippings
  • spoon off the drippings
  • use the drippings for gravy

Prepositions

  • drippings from
  • drippings off

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Formed from the verb 'drip' (which comes from Old English 'dryppan', meaning 'to fall in drops') plus the suffix '-ings', which turns a verb into a plural noun referring to the product or result of the action. The culinary sense of 'drippings' — the fat and juices that fall from roasting meat — has been in use since at least the 16th century.