French word

madeleine

Pronunciation

IPA/madəlɛn/

Meaning

  • feminine nounmadeleine

Example

Pour le goûter, j'ai fait des madeleines.

I made madeleines for a snack.

Illustration for madeleine (madeleine)

More examples

J'ai pris une madeleine avec mon café.

I had a madeleine with my coffee.

Core concept

A tender, buttery little cake with a ridged shell shape and a rounded top.

Common phrases

  • une madeleine

    a madeleine

  • des madeleines

    madeleines

  • une madeleine maison

    a homemade madeleine

Similar words

biscuit: A small, sweet baked good with a dry, firm texture.
gâteau: A general term for a sweet cake baked in an oven.
pâtisserie: A general term for cakes and other sweet pastries.
dessert: A sweet dish or fruit served after a meal.

Definition in French

Petit gâteau individuel, moelleux et beurré, reconnu par sa forme en coquille obtenue en le cuisant dans un moule cannelé.

Word origin

The pastry name comes from the feminine name Madeleine, ultimately from Greek Magdalene through Latin Magdalena, and became established in Commercy in the eighteenth century.

Usage tips

  • Madeleine is feminine: une madeleine and des madeleines, with the final -s silent in the plural.

Word lists with this word