fondue
Americannoun
plural
fondues-
a saucelike dish of Swiss origin made with melted cheese and seasonings together with dry white wine, usually flavored with kirsch: served as a hot dip for pieces of bread.
-
a dish of hot liquid in which small pieces of food are cooked or dipped.
beef fondue; chocolate fondue.
-
a baked soufflélike dish usually containing cheese and cracker crumbs or breadcrumbs.
adjective
noun
Etymology
Origin of fondue
First recorded in 1875–80; from French; feminine of fondu “melted”; fondu
Explanation
When you eat fondue, you dip cubes of bread into delicious, warm, melty cheese. Fondue is usually served in a small pot over a flame and shared by a group of people. There are variations on traditional cheese fondue. Dessert fondue, for example, usually includes warm, melted chocolate with cubes of cake and fruit for dipping. No matter what kind of fondue you eat, you will likely use a long fork to dip your food. Fondue was invented in Switzerland, and it's sometimes called the Swiss national dish. The word means "melted" in French, from fondre, "to melt."
Vocabulary lists containing fondue
A Culinary Vocabulary Sampler
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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.
“Nobody comes here to buy a fondue set – but, who knows, I might leave with one,” he smiles.
From BBC • Nov. 22, 2024
In terms of embracing the "gooey" aspect of cheese, though, there may be no better usage than good ol' fondue.
From Salon • Apr. 9, 2024
Cook: Jazz up the weekend with an easy chocolate fondue.
From New York Times • Feb. 1, 2024
In fact, fondue is currently enjoying its time under the spotlight.
From Salon • Dec. 23, 2023
The appetizer arrives—a steaming Crock-Pot of bubbling cheese fondue with three types of breads and apples with tiny dipping forks.
From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed
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.
