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souffle

[soo-fuh l]
noun Pathology.
  1. a murmuring or blowing sound heard on auscultation.
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Origin of souffle

From French, dating back to 1875–80; see origin at soufflé
Can be confusedsouffle soufflé

soufflé

[soo-fley, soo-fley]
noun
  1. a light baked dish made fluffy with beaten egg whites combined with egg yolks, white sauce, and fish, cheese, or other ingredients.
  2. a similar dish made with fruit juices, chocolate, vanilla, etc., and served as dessert.
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adjective
  1. Also souf·fléed. puffed up; made light, as by beating and cooking.
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verb (used with object), souf·fléed, souf·flé·ing.
  1. to make (food) puffed up and light, as by beating and cooking, adding stiffly beaten egg whites, etc.; make resemble a soufflé: to soufflé leftover mashed potatoes.
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Origin of soufflé

1805–15; < French, noun use of past participle of souffler to blow, puff < Latin sufflāre to breathe on, blow on
Can be confusedsouffle soufflé
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for souffle

Historical Examples

  • The landlady admitted that a souffle was something not unlike a hash.

    Cap'n Warren's Wards

    Joseph C. Lincoln

  • If ever he come in the domps, he goes out always like a souffle.'

    The Young Duke

    Benjamin Disraeli

  • Better the guests wait a few minutes for the souffle than the souffle for the guests.

  • The souffle potatoes of old Marie were not bad to look on, but I did not test them otherwise.

    Europe Revised

    Irvin S. Cobb

  • In a sweetmeat, the souffle through which we dig to reach the plums.

British Dictionary definitions for souffle

souffle

noun
  1. med a blowing sound or murmur heard in auscultation
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Word Origin

C19: from French, from souffler to blow

soufflé

noun
  1. a very light fluffy dish made with egg yolks and stiffly beaten egg whites combined with cheese, fish, etc
  2. a similar sweet or savoury cold dish, set with gelatine
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adjective Also: souffléed
  1. made light and puffy, as by beating and cooking
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Word Origin

C19: from French, from souffler to blow, from Latin sufflāre
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 souffle

n.

light dish, sometimes savory but usually sweet, 1813, from French soufflé, noun use of past participle of souffler "to puff up," from Latin sufflare, from sub- "under, up from under" (see sub-) + flare "to blow" (see blow (v.1)).

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
souffle in Medicine

souffle

(sōō′fəl, sōō′flə)
n.
  1. A soft blowing sound heard on auscultation.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.