croquette

American  

[kroh-ket] / kroʊˈkɛt /

noun

1. a small cake or ball of minced meat, poultry, or fish, or of rice, potato, or other food, often coated with beaten egg and breadcrumbs, and fried in deep fat.

---

croquette British  

/ krɒ-, krəʊˈkɛt /

noun

1. a savoury cake of minced meat, fish, etc, fried in breadcrumbs

---

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.

Example Sentences

In France, he’s a baker—and his dog, named Sprocket elsewhere, is named Croquette.

From Time • May 14, 2013

“I think the neighborhood has had enough of being stigmatized,” said Martine Croquette, a deputy mayor in Toulouse.

From New York Times • Dec. 20, 2012

Another thing I do not find in Miss Leslie is the Oyster Croquette, which she could not have ignored had she once eaten it.

From Our Philadelphia by Pennell, Elizabeth Robins

Croquette, krok-et′, n. a ball of minced meat or fish, seasoned and fried.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) by Various