posset

American

[pos-it] / ˈpɒs ɪt /

noun

a drink made of hot milk curdled with ale, wine, or the like, often sweetened and spiced.

posset British

/ ˈpɒsɪt /

noun

a drink of hot milk curdled with ale, beer, etc, flavoured with spices, formerly used as a remedy for colds

"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

Etymology

Origin of posset

1400–50; late Middle English poshote, possot < ?

Vocabulary lists containing posset

"The Tragedy of Macbeth," Vocabulary from Act 2

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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.

The word "posset" refers both to a citrusy confection, as well as a newborn's spit-up.

From Salon • Oct. 7, 2022

Jemma Melvin made the dessert, inspired by the lemon posset served at the Queen's 1947 wedding to Prince Philip.

From BBC • May 12, 2022

And Ms. Billups has transformed the desserts: lemon-thyme posset with shortbread, apple brown-sugar cheesecake with apple cider caramel and a dusting of brown butter sugar.

From New York Times • Aug. 1, 2017

Far more appetizing is a lemon posset, for which you bring two cups of cream and a half cup of sugar to a low boil until it thickens, about 10 minutes.

From Washington Post • Jun. 13, 2017

An army of servants clad in bright blue livery for the new king bore jugs of posset and poured spiced wine in pewter goblets stamped with the seal of Claudius.

From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023