French word

croissant

Pronunciation

IPA/kʁwasɑ̃/

Meaning

  • masculine nouncroissant

Example

J'achète un croissant pour le petit-déjeuner.

I am buying a croissant for breakfast.

Illustration for croissant (croissant)

More examples

Elle mange un croissant au chocolat en attendant le bus.

She eats a chocolate croissant while waiting for the bus.

Core concept

A golden crescent of layered dough, with butter separating the crisp outer folds.

Common phrases

  • manger un croissant

    eat a croissant

  • acheter des croissants

    buy croissants

  • un croissant au chocolat

    a chocolate croissant

Similar words

pain: Everyday bread baked from wheat flour, water, and yeast.
pain au chocolat: A rectangular breakfast pastry of layered dough filled with chocolate.
brioche: A soft, sweet pastry bread rich in eggs and butter, often round or braided.
viennoiserie: A general term for sweet pastries made with butter or eggs, often eaten at breakfast.

Definition in French

Petit pain feuilleté riche en beurre, caractérisé par ses fines couches croustillantes et sa forme en croissant.

Word origin

French croissant comes from the present participle of croître, from Latin crescere, and refers to the crescent shape associated with the pastry.

Usage tips

  • Croissant is masculine, so the usual phrase is un croissant, and its final t is silent in pronunciation.

Other meanings

  • crescentnoun
  • growingadjective

Word lists with this word