croquette
Americannoun
-
croquettes
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of croquette
First recorded in 1700–10; from French, equivalent to croqu(er) “to crunch” ( Old French crokier “to break,” of expressive origin) + -ette diminutive suffix; see origin at -ette
Explanation
A croquette is a savory, breaded patty that can be made of meat or vegetables and is usually fried. You might use up leftover mashed potatoes by making croquettes. Almost every country's cuisine has some version of a croquette, a ball, patty, or cylinder of food that's mashed together, rolled in breadcrumbs, and baked or fried. You might eat beef croquettes in Brazil, or plantain and black bean croquettes in Mexico. The word itself, croquette, is French — it comes from croquer, "to crunch," plus the suffix ette, which usually signifies something little or cute.
Vocabulary lists containing croquette
Power Suffix: -ette
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World Cuisine - Introductory
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World Cuisine - Middle School and High School
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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.
See Examples For:
The roast dinner, with a courgette croquette as the vegetarian option, is popular with the children.
From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2022
Back at home, my mother started buying fresh salmon, and anytime there were leftovers I’d try to re-create that perfect salmon croquette.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 26, 2022
Julia actually has a classic French ham and cheese croquette recipe, but Jaíne takes them in a more Spanish direction.
From Salon ● Apr. 20, 2022
Some of the chef Masaya Shirai’s dishes are truffled potato croquette, grilled king crab, sukiyaki nabe with Wagyu beef in broth, hand rolls, and dry noodles with shrimp sauce.
From New York Times ● Mar. 22, 2022
She finishes breading the final croquette, then glances at her wristwatch.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
He includes some carp recipes in his “Can’t Beat ‘Em, Eat ‘Em!” cookbook, and wants to start a business to sell frozen Copi croquettes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 8, 2026
Cubarrubia and Morales’ celebration featured a wide array of dishes, such as Filipino sour and savory soup of sinigang as well as Cuban picadillo and ham croquettes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 27, 2023
The salmon ceviche was easily the best I've had anywhere in the world, and the duck croquettes were the perfect filling snack before heading out to enjoy the afternoon.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2022
Sorry grandma, but these were the best croquettes I have ever had.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 26, 2022
The croquettes are fried in crackling oil and arranged with a red onion salad on plates.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
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.
