rennet
rennet Lexical Profile
rennet Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A complex of enzymes containing chymosin, originally extracted from the stomach lining of unweaned calves or other ruminants and now also produced from microbial or plant sources, used to curdle milk in the making of cheese and junket.
"The cheesemaker added a few drops of liquid rennet to the warm milk to separate the curds from the whey."
The fourth stomach chamber (abomasum) or stomach membrane of an unweaned calf or other young ruminant, prepared and used for curdling milk.
"Traditional alpine dairies still steep dried calf rennets in whey to prepare their natural starter cultures."
The firm, aromatic fruit of any of several dessert and culinary apple cultivars originating in France, typically having russeted or speckled skin and crisp, flavorful flesh.
"She baked a rustic autumn tart using sliced golden rennets harvested from the old orchard."
• Rhymes for rennet
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
In its curdling sense, from Middle English renet, related to Old English rinnan ('to run together' or 'coagulate'). In the sense of a variety of apple, borrowed from French reinette, a diminutive of reine ('queen').