Danish

American  

[dey-nish] / ˈdeɪ nɪʃ /

adjective

1. of or relating to the Danes, their country, or their language.

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noun

1. a North Germanic language, the language of Denmark, closely related to Norwegian, Swedish, and Icelandic. Dan, Dan.

2. (sometimes lowercase) Danish pastry.

Danish British  

/ ˈdeɪnɪʃ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Denmark, its people, or their language

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noun

1. the official language of Denmark, belonging to the North Germanic branch of the Indo-European family

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• non-Danish
  adjective
• pro-Danish
  adjective
• anti-Danish
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of Danish

First recorded before 900; Middle English, alteration of Denshe, Danshe, Dench (by influence of Dan “(a) Dane”), Old English Denisc , from Germanic daniskaz; see origin at Dane, -ish ¹

Explanation

A danish is a sweet breakfast roll filled with custard, jam, or marzipan. If you're invited to brunch at a friend's house, she'll be happy to see you arrive with a box of danishes. If you order coffee and a danish at a diner, you'll get a flaky, buttery pastry topped with cheese or fruit — not a person from Denmark. The word is short for "danish pastry," which is actually called wienerbrød, or "Viennese bread" in Denmark. The popular history of the danish involves a strike by Danish bakery workers which led bakeries to hire Austrian bakers, who brought their own recipes for pastries rich with butter and egg.

Related Words

• bread
• cake
• croissant
• doughnut
• phyllo
• pie