dessert
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dessert
- /dɪˈzɜːt/ UK
- /dɪˈzɝt/ US
Rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)t
Where it comes from
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁
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Proto-Indo-European *trísinflu.
Proto-Indo-European *d(w)is-
Proto-Italic *dis-
Latin dis-
Old French des-
Middle French des-
Proto-Indo-European *ser-
Proto-Indo-European *-wós
Proto-Indo-European *serwos
Proto-Indo-European *-yéti
Proto-Indo-European *serweyéti
Proto-Italic *serwijeti
Proto-Italic *serwijit
Proto-Italic *serwiō
Latin serviō
Old French servir
Middle French servir
Middle French desservir
Middle French dessertbor.
English dessert
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.
noun desserts · desert
- 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.
- 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.
