meringue

¹ American  

[muh-rang] / məˈræŋ /

noun

1. a delicate, frothy mixture made with beaten egg whites and sugar or hot syrup, and browned, used as a topping for pies, pastry, etc.

2. a pastry or pastry shell made by baking such a mixture, sometimes filled with fruit, whipped cream, etc.

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méringue ² American  

[mey-rang] / meɪˈræŋ /

noun

méringued, méringuing

1. merengue.

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meringue British  

/ məˈræŋ /

noun

1. stiffly beaten egg whites mixed with sugar and baked, often as a topping for pies, cakes, etc

2. a small cake or shell of this mixture, often filled with cream

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Other Word Forms

• unmeringued adjective

Etymology

Origin of meringue¹

1700–10; < French méringue; perhaps to be identified with dial. (Walloon) maringue shepherd's loaf, marinde food for an outdoor repast (< Latin merenda light afternoon meal, probably feminine gerund of merere to merit, such a meal being part of a laborer's wages), though certain evidence is lacking; association with the town of Meiringen (Bern canton, Switzerland) is solely by folk etymology

Origin of méringue²

< French < Haitian Creole

Explanation

Meringue is a very sweet dessert or dessert topping that's made out of egg whites and sugar. Meringue is so light and airy that it melts on your tongue. To make a meringue, you need to beat egg whites with sugar until they're thick and hold stiff peaks. After baking, a good meringue will be delicately crisp on the outside, and soft on the inside. You might like lemon meringue pie, or chocolate meringue cookies. The origin of the word meringue, aside from its birth as the French méringue, is unclear. Meringue was reportedly invented in eighteenth century Switzerland and perfected in Italy.

Example Sentences

At home, however, poaching islands of meringue has always felt like too much messy work.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

At home, I keep it rustic and dollop generous mounds of meringue onto lined baking trays, then use the back of a teaspoon to shape them.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

Prix-fixe dishes change every three months, but feature magazine-worthy creations like The Bees’ Nest, made with toasted honey, Franco-Suisse meringue, vanilla pear, apple compote and whipped honey ganache — each paired with a beverage.

From Salon • Jul. 13, 2025

Pointing to another that looks like a black and orange meringue with gold dusting, he explains: "This is a real mystery - we don't even know what it is made of."

From BBC • Apr. 20, 2025

The summit proper, a slender rock fin sprouting a grotesque meringue of atmospheric ice, stood twenty feet directly above.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer