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:
Netherland’s broodje kroket: Stuff a mini burger bun with a potato croquette and mayo.
From BBC ● May 10, 2023
It was simply sublime, though the rabbit croquette was the best bite of the night.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 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
It can be overwhelming for first-timers, but the counterperson stands by absolutely cheerfully with a basket for your choices: maybe curry croquette, caprese or teriyaki chicken?
From Seattle Times ● May 15, 2019
One evening when Eliot’s mother came to pick him up, Mrs. Sen served her a tuna croquette, explaining that it was really supposed to be made with a fish called bhetki.
From "Interpreter of Maladies" 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
And mashed potatoes can be transformed into bite-sized croquettes.
From Salon ● Nov. 26, 2022
Sorry grandma, but these were the best croquettes I have ever had.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 26, 2022
She will not have to make her own croquettes.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
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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.
