grenadine

¹ American  

[gren-uh-deen, gren-uh-deen] / ˌgrɛn əˈdin, ˈgrɛn əˌdin /

noun

1. a thin fabric of leno weave in silk, nylon, rayon, or wool.

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grenadine ² American  

[gren-uh-deen, gren-uh-deen] / ˌgrɛn əˈdin, ˈgrɛn əˌdin /

noun

1. a syrup made from pomegranate juice.

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grenadine ¹ British  

/ ˈɡrɛnəˌdiːn, ˌɡrɛnəˈdiːn /

noun

1. a syrup made from pomegranate juice, used as a sweetening and colouring agent in various drinks

2. 1. a moderate reddish-orange colour

   2. ( as adjective )

      a grenadine coat

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grenadine ² British  

/ ˌɡrɛnəˈdiːn /

noun

1. a light thin leno-weave fabric of silk, wool, rayon, or nylon, used esp for dresses

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Etymology

Origin of grenadine¹

1850–55; < French, perhaps after Granada, Spain. See -ine ¹

Origin of grenadine²

1700–10; < French, diminutive of grenade pomegranate. See grenade, -ine ¹

Explanation

Grenadine is a syrup made from pomegranates. It’s red, thick, and sticky but delicious mixed with other drinks. If you’ve ever had a proper Shirley Temple, you’ve had grenadine and maybe even a little umbrella. The word grenadine comes from France in the late 1800s, from sirop de grenadine for "syrup made from pomegranates.” Imagine poets and cabaret singers sipping drinks mixed with grenadine in a sassy café in Paris in the 1900s. Or now — people still use grenadine all the time. Bartenders know what grenadine is, since it's part of many mixed drinks. Two drinks that include grenadine are the Sea Breeze (which has alcohol) and the Shirley Temple cocktail (which does not).

Example Sentences

The change was made after consultations with the Grenadine government and the governor general, the queen’s representative on the island.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 22, 2022

Carriacou is a small Grenadine island where her mother was born.

From Salon • Mar. 19, 2022

For Wendy Schmidt, the inspiration came in 2009, from a coral reef in the Grenadine islands of the Caribbean.

From New York Times • Mar. 15, 2014

So it would be understandable if I approached a 10-day trip in the Grenadine Islands led by a couple of novice sailors with some trepidation.

From Washington Post

“What have you got going here in this living room of yours, a reunion of the 101st Cavalry Unit of the Grenadine Fusiliers?”

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols