mousse

American  

[moos] / mus /

noun

1. Cooking.

   1. a sweetened and flavored dessert with a base of whipped cream, beaten egg whites, or both.

      chocolate mousse.

   2. an aspic, unsweetened and containing meat, vegetables, or fish, usually chilled in a mold.

      salmon mousse.

2. a foamy preparation used on the hair to help hold it in place, applied usually to damp hair before grooming or styling and worked in until absorbed.

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mousse British  

/ muːs /

noun

1. a light creamy dessert made with eggs, cream, fruit, etc, set with gelatine

2. a similar dish made from fish or meat

3. the layer of small bubbles on the top of a glass of champagne or other sparkling wine

4. short for styling mousse

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Etymology

Origin of mousse

First recorded in 1890–95; from French: literally, “moss, froth”; partly from Latin (aqua) mulsa “hydromel” (feminine singular of adjective mulsus “mixed with honey, sweet”); partly from Germanic; moss

Example Sentences

From coffee infused with yuzu to milky mango topped with matcha mousse, these are our favorite picks for over-the-top drinks that taste just as good as they look.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 22, 2025

When asked how he feels to be immortalized as a sculpted sponge cake with coconut lime mousse, he doesn’t flinch.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 5, 2025

My black cherry love came full circle a few weeks ago when I had the most superb Amarena cherries alongside a chicken liver mousse.

From Salon • May 6, 2025

It includes recipes for meyer lemon and bay leaf gelato, jasmine-scented almond milk mousse and fruit pudding made from white melon and orange blossom.

From Salon • Sep. 28, 2024

After we finished dinner I took out the chocolate mousse cake with mocha icing that I’d bought from Patisserie Lind, a fancy sweetshop near the station, Lelia’s and Mitt’s favorite old place.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee