lip(o)-

Fat.

Greek lipos, fat.

In cosmetic surgery, liposuction removes excess fat from under the skin by suction; lipids are a class of organic compounds that include many natural oils, waxes, and steroids; lipase is an enzyme that catalyses the breakdown of fats; a lipoma is a benign tumour of fatty tissue; lipogenesis is the normal formation of fat in the body; lipolysis (Greek lusis, loosening) is the breakdown of fats and other lipids to release fatty acids. See also steato‑.

A lipogram, a composition from which the writer systematically omits one or more letters of the alphabet is instead based on Greek leipein, to leave (out).