meringue

Borrowed from French meringue. Historically, it was believed that meringue was invented in and named for the Swiss village of Meiringen,[1] but the term is now thought to derive instead from Middle Dutch meringue (“light evening meal”), of unclear origin:[1]

• perhaps from Latin merenda (“light evening meal”),[1] or
• perhaps from Middle Dutch *meren (“to dip or soak bread”), from Old Dutch *meren, itself of unclear origin:
  • perhaps from Proto-Germanic *marjaną (“to grind, pound”), from Proto-Indo-European *mer- (“to rub, pack”).
  • perhaps from Proto-Germanic *marhin (“soup of bread and wine or water”), from Proto-Indo-European *mark-, *merk- (“wet”).

Compare Middle Low German meringe (from mern (“to dip bread in wine”)), Middle High German merunge (from mëren (“to soak bread in wine or water for dinner”)), Old English merian (“to purify, cleanse, test”).

• enPR: mə-răng', IPA^(key): /məˈɹæŋ/
• Rhymes: -æŋ

meringue (countable and uncountable, plural meringues)

1. A mixture consisting of beaten egg whites and sugar which is added to the tops of pies then browned.

   The key to a good baked Alaska is the meringue topping.

2. A shell made of this mixture which serves as the receptacle for fruit, ice cream or sherbet.

   Shirley likes to have strawberry with her meringue.

• French meringue
• Italian meringue
• lemon meringue pie
• Swiss meringue

• stiff peaks

From Dutch meringue, itself from Latin or Proto-Germanic.

• IPA^(key): /mə.ʁɛ̃ɡ/

• Audio

  (file)

• Homophones: meringuent, meringues

meringue f (plural meringues)

1. meringue

meringue

1. first-person singular present indicative of meringuer
2. third-person singular present indicative of meringuer
3. first-person singular present subjunctive of meringuer
4. third-person singular present subjunctive of meringuer
5. second-person singular imperative of meringuer