Tallow
in chemistry, a name applied to the harder and less fusible fats occurring chiefly in the animal kingdom, the most common being beef and mutton tallow. When pure it is white and almost tasteless, and consists of stearin, palmitin, and olein in varying proportions.
Tallow is of two kinds, viz., white and yellow candle tallow, and common soap tallow. The white candle tallow, when good, is brittle, dry and clean. Yellow candle tallow, when good, should be clean, dry, hard when broken, and of a fine yellow color throughout. Soap tallow is used for making soap, and for greasing machinery. A great deal of tallow is also used for the dressing of leather.