dessert definition

English dessert definition

Alternative forms

• desert (obsolete)

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French dessert, from desservir (“disserve”), from dés- (“dis-”) and servir (“serve”), thus literally meaning “removal of what has been served”.

Note: It was erroneously suggested (e.g. in "Glucose syrups: Technology and Applications" (Peter Hull, 2010)) that the word is derived from the name of Benjamin Delessert, the inventor of beet sugar. However, the term predates him by at least a century.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /dɪˈzɜːt/
• (US) enPR: dĭ-zûrt, IPA^(key): /dɪˈzɝt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Homophone: desert (verb)
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)t

Noun

dessert (countable and uncountable, plural desserts)

1. The last course of a meal, consisting of fruit, sweet confections etc.

   I ordered hummus for a starter, a steak as the main course, and chocolate cake for dessert.

   Can I see the dessert menu, please?

2. A sweet dish or confection served as the last course of a meal.

   Trifle is a favourite dessert of the English, but rivalled by pavlova in Australia and New Zealand.

Synonyms

• (sweet final course of a meal): afters (UK informal), pudding (UK), sweet (UK)

Derived terms

Descendants

• → Japanese: デザート (dezāto)

Translations

Anagrams

• deserts, tressed

Danish dessert definition

Etymology

From French dessert, from desservir (“disserve”), from dés- (“dis-”) and servir (“serve”).

Noun

dessert c (singular definite desserten, plural indefinite desserter)

1. dessert

Inflection

Further reading

• “dessert” in Den Danske Ordbog

Dutch dessert definition

Etymology

Borrowed from French dessert, from desservir (“disserve”), from dés- (“dis-”) and servir (“serve”), thus literally meaning “removal of what has been served”.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dɛˈsɛr/, /dɛˈsɛrt/

• audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: des‧sert
• Rhymes: -ɛr, -ɛrt

Noun

dessert n (plural desserten or desserts, diminutive dessertje n)

1. A dessert.

   Synonyms: nagerecht, naspijs, toespijs, toetje

Derived terms

• dessertkaart

Descendants

• Afrikaans: dessert

Estonian dessert definition

Etymology

German Dessert.

Noun

dessert (genitive desserdi, partitive desserti)

1. dessert

Declension

Synonyms

• magustoit

Further reading

• dessert in Eesti keele seletav sõnaraamat
• dessert in Sõnaveeb

French dessert definition

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French dessert, from desservir (“disserve”), from dés- (“dis-”) +‎ servir (“serve”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /de.sɛʁ/

• audio

  (file)

Noun

dessert m (plural desserts)

1. dessert, pudding

Derived terms

• cuillère à dessert

Descendants

Verb

dessert

1. third-person singular present indicative of desservir

Further reading

• “dessert”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• déserts

Norwegian Bokmål dessert definition

Etymology

From French dessert.

Noun

dessert m (definite singular desserten, indefinite plural desserter, definite plural dessertene)

1. dessert

References

• “dessert” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk dessert definition

Etymology

From French dessert.

Noun

dessert m (definite singular desserten, indefinite plural dessertar, definite plural dessertane)

1. dessert

References

• “dessert” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Romansch dessert definition

Noun

dessert m (plural desserts)

1. (Rumantsch Grischun, Sursilvan, Sutsilvan, Surmiran, Puter, Vallader) dessert

Synonyms

• (Sutsilvan) dultsch

West Frisian dessert definition

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

dessert n (plural desserts, diminutive dessertsje)

1. dessert

Further reading

• “dessert”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011