Lihoita

Lihoita is a Finnish verb meaning to fatten or to cause to gain weight. It is the causative form of the verb lihoa, which means to gain weight or to become fat. The root is linked to liha (meat) and conveys increasing body mass, typically through targeted feeding and care. In agriculture and animal husbandry, lihoita describes feeding regimes and management practices intended to raise the weight of livestock prior to slaughter or sale. The term appears in farming manuals, veterinary notes, and practical guidance within farming communities. In human nutrition, lihoittaa can be used in a general sense to describe deliberate weight gain, though everyday language often uses more common expressions such as lihominen or painon nouseminen. The imperative form lihoita is used to give a direct instruction: “Lihoita karjaa ennen teuraskäyntiä” (Fatten the cattle before the slaughter visit). The term is neutral and primarily technical, with a clear association to weight gain achieved through feeding and care in livestock contexts. See also lihominen, liha, teuras.