sweetmeat

American  

[sweet-meet] / ˈswitˌmit /

noun

1. Archaic.  a sweet delicacy, as a candy or candied fruit, or, originally, a cake or pastry.

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sweetmeat British  

/ ˈswiːtˌmiːt /

noun

1. a sweetened delicacy, such as a preserve, sweet, or, formerly, a cake or pastry

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Etymology

Origin of sweetmeat

First recorded before 1150; Old English swētmete, swōmete “delicacy” (not recorded in Middle English ); sweet, meat

Example Sentences

Gifting new clothes and sweetmeats is a key part of the celebrations.

From Reuters

Media footage showed a man feeding the convicts sweetmeat outside the jail after touching the feet of one of them, a mark of respect.

From Reuters

While my parents devoted their time and energy to the service, I daydreamed about the forthcoming sweetmeat, a symphony of tabla and harmonium scoring my reverie.

From Salon

And yet even my mighty sweet tooth has met its match in the form of a cinematic sweetmeat: “To All the Boys: Always and Forever.”

From New York Times

Some spirits live in trees, and the mightiest ficus trees are wrapped in multicolored sashes, with incense and sweetmeats placed among the roots.

From New York Times

Related Words

• candy
• chocolate
• confection
• dessert
• snack