margarine
UK /ˌmɑː.d͡ʒəˈɹiːn/ · US /ˈmɑɹ.d͡ʒəˌɹin/ noun, verb
Forms margarines margarining margarined
- noun A spread, manufactured from a blend of vegetable oils (some of which are hydrogenated), emulsifiers etc, mostly used as a substitute for butter.
- noun (dated) The solid ingredient of human fat, olive oil, etc.
- verb (transitive) To spread or cover (something) with margarine.
Synonyms
marg marge oleo oleomargarine margarin
Etymology
Borrowed from French margarine, from acide margarique (“margaric acid”), from Ancient Greek μάργαρον (márgaron, “pearl”), in allusion to its pearly lustre, with the suffix -ine, influenced by glycérine (“glycerine”). French chemist Michel Eugène Chevreul named margaric acid after its pearl-like crystallization.
Webster’s 1913
- noun Artificial butter; oleomargarine.
- noun Margarin.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “margarine”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details