marmalade
Americannoun
noun
adjective
Etymology
Origin of marmalade
1515–25; < Portuguese marmelada quince jam, derivative of marmelo quince < Latin melimēlum a kind of apple < Greek melímēlon ( méli honey + mêlon a fruit); see -ade 1
Explanation
Marmalade is a type of fruit spread made from citrus fruits like oranges. You may imagine everyone in England eating toasted crumpets with orange marmalade and tea for breakfast every morning. Marmalade is essentially a type of jam that includes peels and rinds. Though plenty of sugar is used in making marmalade, the presence of citrus peels gives it a tart or even sour flavor. One of literature's most famous lovers of marmalade is Paddington Bear, who traveled to Britain from Peru and claimed, "I came all the way in a lifeboat, and ate marmalade. Bears like marmalade." The word stems from the Portuguese marmelo, "quince."
Vocabulary lists containing marmalade
Orange
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The Prince and the Dressmaker
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Pictures of Hollis Wood
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
When I made his Quince Marmalade, one of my favorites, I thought it could never work with its generous recommended amount of water.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025
Lynn Schulz, general manager of Marmalade Cafe in the Country Mart, said the feeling of support operates in both directions.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 8, 2025
Queens La Voix, Kyran Thrax, Marmalade and Rileasa Slaves went head to head in a bid to snatch the crown in Thursday's grand finale.
From BBC • Nov. 29, 2024
Reed and O’Toole pounced and Tim’s reopens this weekend with shows featuring alt-rockers Asterhouse, soul-powered vocalist Grace Love, Randy Weeks, the Marmalade funk crew and more.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 30, 2023
Reed, Jules, and Marmalade slid onto the bar stools and swiveled to survey the rest of the room.
From "The Reader" by Traci Chee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
