mousse

American  

[moos] / mus /

noun

1. Cooking.

   1. a sweetened and flavored dessert with a base of whipped cream, beaten egg whites, or both.

      chocolate mousse.

   2. an aspic, unsweetened and containing meat, vegetables, or fish, usually chilled in a mold.

      salmon mousse.

2. a foamy preparation used on the hair to help hold it in place, applied usually to damp hair before grooming or styling and worked in until absorbed.

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mousse British  

/ muːs /

noun

1. a light creamy dessert made with eggs, cream, fruit, etc, set with gelatine

2. a similar dish made from fish or meat

3. the layer of small bubbles on the top of a glass of champagne or other sparkling wine

4. short for styling mousse

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Etymology

Origin of mousse

First recorded in 1890–95; from French: literally, “moss, froth”; partly from Latin (aqua) mulsa “hydromel” (feminine singular of adjective mulsus “mixed with honey, sweet”); partly from Germanic; see moss

Explanation

Mousse is a dessert that's made of cream and eggs that have been whipped until they're light and creamy. Don't confuse the dessert mousse with the foamy hair product also called mousse, or else people will want to nibble on your hair after dinner. If you have heavy cream, some eggs, and flavoring — plus a whisk or an electric mixer — you can make mousse. Most mousses are sweet, flavored with chocolate or fruit or peanut butter, but it's also possible to cook a savory mousse, like a salmon mousse or a chicken liver mousse. Because its texture is similar to these foods, the foamy hair product is also called mousse. In Old French, mousse means "froth," but also, unappetizingly, "scum."

Example Sentences

Pantone described Mocha Mousse as a “mellow brown infused with a sensorial and comforting warmth,” according to a press release, as shared by CNN.

From Salon • Dec. 5, 2024

Labour says vapes sold by the firm - such as Blue Razz Lemonade, Strawberry Mousse and Rainbow Burst - are clearly aimed at children.

From BBC • Sep. 8, 2023

Life was about get interesting for Amber, 31; Mousse, 37; Axil, 29; Buster, 28; Connor, 29; December, 29; Denise, 30; Inky, 29; Tequila, 29, and Mocha, 31.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 26, 2022

She’d just finished a workout and was having a drink called Supa Dupa Greens and a bowl of Superfood Mousse in the gym’s mezzanine lounge-café.

From The New Yorker • Aug. 9, 2019

The waiter tried to foist Toucinho do Ceu and Mousse de Chocolate on them, but Dimple declined for the both of them.

From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon