mandoline
mandoline Lexical Profile
mandoline Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A culinary utensil consisting of a flat surface fitted with an adjustable sharp blade, used for slicing and julienning vegetables quickly and uniformly.
"The chef used a mandoline to slice the potatoes into paper-thin rounds for the gratin."
A variant spelling of mandolin, a musical instrument in the lute family having a pear-shaped body and fretted neck with four to six pairs of strings plucked with a plectrum.
"The antique score called for a solo mandoline to accompany the soprano."
Word Nuance & Usage
In contemporary English, the spelling "mandoline" (with a final "-e") almost always refers to the culinary slicing tool, whereas "mandolin" (without the "-e") refers to the stringed musical instrument.
• Rhymes for mandoline
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from French mandoline, from Italian mandolino, the diminutive of mandola (a lute-like instrument), ultimately from Late Latin pandura and Ancient Greek pandoura; the culinary tool was likely named because the rapid back-and-forth wrist motion used to slice vegetables resembles strumming a mandolin.