praline
praline Lexical Profile
praline Game Scores & Validity
• noun
American A rich, sweet confection originating in the American South, typically made by boiling pecans, sugar, butter, and cream until it sets into a soft, fudge-like patty.
"While wandering through the French Quarter in New Orleans, we stopped to buy a box of freshly made pecan pralines."
British A small chocolate confection with a soft, sweet filling, traditionally made of finely ground roasted nuts and sugar.
"She received a luxurious box of assorted Belgian pralines for Valentine's Day."
A crisp confection consisting of whole almonds or other nuts caramelized in boiling sugar, often crushed to flavor other desserts.
"The pastry chef crushed the almond praline to use as a crunchy, sweet topping for the mousse cake."
Word Nuance & Usage
In the American South, a praline is typically a soft, fudge-like pecan candy, whereas in European contexts, it usually refers to crisp caramelized almonds or a nut-filled chocolate.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from French 'praline', named after the French diplomat César de Choiseul, comte du Plessis-Praslin (1598–1675), whose cook is credited with inventing the original almond version.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.