meringue

[ muh-rang ]

/ məˈræŋ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR meringue ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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

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

RELATED WORDS

plunge, frosting, garnish, sauce

Nearby words

Origin of meringue

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

méringue

[ mey-rang ]

/ meɪˈræŋ /

noun, verb (used without object), mé·ringued, mé·ringu·ing.

merengue.

Origin of méringue

< French < Haitian Creole

Related formsun·me·ringued, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for meringue

The argument, such as it is, is as substanceless as meringue.
The Des Moines Register's Practical Joke|Michael Tomasky|October 28, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Meringue cookies were bone-shaped, fruit punch was served in blood vials, and there was a magic show in the East Room.
Jodi Kantor’s Book ‘The Obamas’: Tensions Between Michelle and the White House and More||January 8, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Remove the cookie sheet from the freezer and cover each ice cream-topped cake with the meringue.
That '70s Food|Lydia Brownlow|April 22, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Place the cookie sheet in the freezer while making the meringue.
That '70s Food|Lydia Brownlow|April 22, 2011|DAILY BEAST

Lemon and meringue are the perfect flavor combination for summer.
Fresh Picks|Candace Nelson|June 29, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Decorate with meringue paste, with a pastry bag and a fancy tube, and form in the shape of a crown on top.
The Hotel St. Francis Cook Book|Victor Hirtzler
When the Italian meringue is cold, add a pint of cream whipped to a stiff froth.
The Century Cook Book|Mary Ronald
When the pudding is to be served at the table, it may be covered with a meringue while hot and delicately browned in the oven.
The Laurel Health Cookery|Evora Bucknum Perkins
Any very nice baked pudding will be improved by covering the surface with a meringue.
Miss Leslie's Lady's New Receipt-Book|Eliza Leslie
Tiny dots of beaten jelly may be placed with a pastry tube in the depressions of the meringue of lemon pies, after baking.
The Laurel Health Cookery|Evora Bucknum Perkins

British Dictionary definitions for meringue

meringue

/ (məˈræŋ) /

noun

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

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

Word Origin for meringue

C18: from French, origin obscure

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for meringue

meringue

whites of eggs mixed with sugar, 1706, from French méringue (18c.), of unknown origin.