sherbet

American  

[shur-bit] / ˈʃɜr bɪt /

noun

1. Sometimes sherbert a frozen dessert made with sweetened fruit juice or purée, typically containing milk or cream, with egg white or gelatin often added.

2. a traditional Middle Eastern drink made of sweetened fruit juice diluted with water and ice.

3. Chiefly British. a sweetened powder moistened in the mouth and eaten as a fizzy confection or mixed with water to make a fizzy drink.

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sherbet British  

/ ˈʃɜːbət /

noun

1. a fruit-flavoured slightly effervescent powder, eaten as a sweet or used to make a drink

   lemon sherbet

2. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): sorbet.  a water ice made from fruit juice, egg whites, milk, etc

3. slang beer

4. a cooling Oriental drink of sweetened fruit juice

5. informal a euphemistic word for shit

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Etymology

Origin of sherbet

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Turkish şerbet, from Persian sharbat, from Arabic sharbah “a drink,” from shariba “to drink”

Example Sentences

I side-eyed Sabre’s prices, then ordered a cheap set with cheerful plastic handles in various sherbet hues.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 14, 2025

It was incredibly sweet and slightly sour and fruity, reminding me of lemon sherbet.

From BBC • Mar. 9, 2025

Cool off with this family-friendly nonalcoholic cocktail that features a refreshing combination of homemade orange sherbet bobbing about in orange juice and seltzer.

From Salon • Jan. 13, 2023

Instead, I was drawn to fruity and creamy treats, like cloyingly sweet green tea mochi ice cream, milk tea with boba and strawberry sherbet.

From Washington Post • Sep. 2, 2022

Lil looked at me like she was going to throw the rest of her raspberry sherbet in my face.

From "Okay for Now" by Gary D. Schmidt

Related Words

• frozen yogurt
• sorbet