marshmallow
Americannoun
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a sweetened paste or confection made from the mucilaginous root of the marsh mallow.
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a similar confection, usually soft and spongy, made from gum arabic or gelatin, sugar, corn syrup, and flavoring.
noun
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a sweet of a spongy texture containing gum arabic or gelatine, sugar, etc
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a sweetened paste or confection made from the root of the marsh mallow
Usage
What is the Marshmallow Test? The Marshmallow Test is a famous psychological test performed on young children in the 1960s linking delayed gratification (a treat right now … or two later?) to success later in life. A 2018 replication notably concluded, though, that socioeconomic background significantly influenced the ability of children to delay their gratification. So the test was biased.
Other Word Forms
- marshmallowy adjective
Etymology
Origin of marshmallow
First recorded in 1905–10; see origin at marsh mallow
Explanation
A marshmallow is a sweet, soft treat. Marshmallows are sometimes melted and turned into a sugary topping for ice cream or a filling for baked goods. Marshmallows are made of gelatin and sugar, with a dusty powdered sugar surface, and they squish like a sponge when you squeeze or bite down on them. Marshmallows can be toasted over a fire to turn them slightly crisp on the outside and melty within, and sandwiched between graham crackers with chocolate to make a "s'more." The original 19th century marshmallows were made from a plant called mersc-mealwe (marsh mallow plant) in Old English.
Vocabulary lists containing marshmallow
Commonly Misspelled Words, List 2
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Easter Vocabulary
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocabulary for February 4–February 10, 2023
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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.
Then there’s bruising running back Mark Fletcher Jr., who runs through 300-pound defenders as if they were made of marshmallow.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 11, 2026
If that doesn't seem enough there's a special cocktail, the Transatlantic Whisky Sour, which blends Johnnie Walker with the bright citrus of marmalade, with pecan foam and a toasted marshmallow on a biscuit.
From BBC • Sep. 17, 2025
The S’mores cookies, graham cracker sandwich cookies with chocolate and marshmallow filling, were introduced during the 2017 Girl Scout cookie season.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 9, 2025
But even his nonsensible marshmallow responses to her didn’t matter.
From Salon • Aug. 1, 2024
“I’ll trade you Cookie’s homemade marshmallow recipe for a taste of the finished product,” Micah offers with a sly smile.
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
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.
