lozenge

American  

[loz-inj] / ˈlɒz ɪndʒ /

noun

lozenges plural

1. a small, flavored tablet made from sugar or syrup, often medicated, originally diamond-shaped.

2. Geometry Now Rare. diamond.

3. Heraldry.

   1. a diamond-shaped charge.

   2. a diamond-shaped shield bearing the arms of a woman.

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lozenge British  

/ ˈlɒzɪndʒ /

noun

1. Also called: pastille.   troche.  med a medicated tablet held in the mouth until it has dissolved

2. geometry another name for rhombus

3. heraldry a diamond-shaped charge

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• lozenges
  plural

Etymology

Origin of lozenge

1300–50; Middle English losenge < Middle French, Old French, perhaps < Gaulish *lausa flat stone + -enge < Germanic -inga -ing ³

Explanation

A lozenge is a kind of medicated candy that soothes your sore throat. If you've got a dry cough, you should drink some water and try sucking on a lozenge. You might call a lozenge a "cough drop" or "pastille." Some have ingredients that ease the scratchy throat that causes coughing, and others are meant to relieve the discomfort of a sore throat. The word lozenge can also refer to a diamond shape. The tile on your bathroom floor might be a pattern of blue and white lozenges. Throat lozenges were originally diamond-shaped, hence the name.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lozenge lozenges

It is an enormous yellow lozenge moored to the seafloor with two giant turbines attached on what look like great wings.

From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2023

Square motifs were knitted horizontally and vertically — hitting a high on a stretchy green gown with a stretch lozenge shaped front.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 3, 2023

Those five geese were in balance with a black lozenge and a blue lozenge at the other end of the crossbar.

From Washington Post ● Sep. 28, 2022

If you've ever eaten a York Peppermint Pattie or sucked on a menthol lozenge, you feel that rush of what seems like cool air sweeping down your nose and your throat.

From Salon ● Oct. 29, 2021

And so she continued, at the same pace, to sweep the dust, cigarette ends, and lozenge wrappers from the rest of the steps, until she reached the letter boxes at the bottom.

From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri

He reportedly tossed lozenges into the audience when a fit of coughing disrupted a performance with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2026

Instead, Prof Smith says the best approach is for people to "wait it out", drink water to stay hydrated and take lozenges that encourage swallowing and "inhibit a cough" for a period of time.

From BBC ● Dec. 3, 2025

Authorities are deeply concerned, however, that the jewels risk being broken down for their valuable gems, which range from hundreds of diamonds to emeralds and sapphires the size of lozenges.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2025

A typical go-to remedy is the mineral zinc, via the form of lozenges or supplements.

From Salon ● Dec. 18, 2024

His eyes were like Salim’s, I realized, dark lozenges.

From "The London Eye Mystery" by Siobhan Dowd