meringue
meringue Lexical Profile
meringue Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A sweet, light, and airy mixture made by rigorously whipping egg whites and sugar, frequently baked until crisp and used as a topping for pies and other baked goods.
"The baker added a thick, perfectly toasted layer of meringue to the top of the lemon tart."
A small, crisp confection or pastry made entirely of baked meringue mixture.
"We bought a box of colorful, bite-sized meringues from the French patisserie to serve with afternoon tea."
Word Nuance & Usage
Often confused with 'merengue', which is a lively style of Caribbean music and dance, though both words share a similar pronunciation and distant etymology.
• Rhymes for meringue
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed into English in the early 18th century from the French 'meringue'. Its ultimate origin is uncertain, though some linguistic theories trace it to the Walloon 'maringue' or the Latin 'merenda', meaning an afternoon snack.