patisserie
Americannoun
-
a shop where fancy pastries are sold
-
such pastries
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of patisserie
1760–70; < French pâtisserie, Middle French pastiserie, equivalent to pastis-, presumed Old French *pastitz pastry (< Vulgar Latin *pastīcium; see pasticcio) + -erie -ery
Explanation
A patisserie is a fancy French bakery. Hungry for a croissant, an eclair, or some macarons? If there's a patisserie in your town, you're in luck! Patisserie is a French word that means "pastry shop," from a Latin root that translates as "composed of paste," which makes more sense when you know that paste meant "dough" before it meant "glue." In French-speaking countries, it's spelled with a circumflex accent: pâtisserie. You can also use this word to describe French cakes and sweets in general: "Their selection of patisserie is really impressive, and I love their pain au chocolate!"
Vocabulary lists containing patisserie
Drew Leclair Gets a Clue
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Forever Is Now
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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.
See Examples For:
After spending five years as the executive pastry chef at Jungsik, a contemporary Korean restaurant in New York City’s Tribeca neighborhood, Eunji Lee opened her own patisserie, Lysée, in 2022.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
Smith said the show will focus on “very traditional” challenges and themes, including cakes, biscuits, bread, patisserie, chocolate, and party cakes.
From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2024
Mr Alid told the court he was born in Morocco but lived and worked in Algeria, where he ran a "successful" coffee and pastries shop, having trained as a patisserie chef.
From BBC ● Apr. 19, 2024
Panterelli patisserie showcases eclairs and cream puffs in West Seattle.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 21, 2023
Hand-painted plates boast a kaleidoscope of patisserie and petit-cakes pierced with flaming sparklers.
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
Pistachio cold foam now perches atop iced coffees from nationwide chains, Dubai chocolate knock-offs sit at every grocery checkout stand and boutique patisseries fill croissants with pistachio butters and creams.
From Salon ● May 6, 2026
Influencer-driven bottlenecks have become commonplace at Paris’s Insta-famous patisseries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 14, 2026
Moroccan and Senegalese cafes line the streets of Paris alongside traditional boulangeries and patisseries.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2023
For years, I’ve seen “cookies” in Parisian patisseries and even shops devoted to them.
From New York Times ● Dec. 1, 2021
“They say that the head bakers from the finest patisseries in Paris come to the Fern Court, take one bite of tarte Philippe, and collapse, weeping with envy.”
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
