madeleine
3 synonyms for madeleine, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A small, shell-shaped French sponge cake.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
How to use madeleine
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
a madeleine moment
baked madeleines
Etymology
Named after the French given name Madeleine; sense 2 comes from a famous passage in Marcel Proust's novel In Search of Lost Time, where a bite of madeleine cake unlocks a flood of childhood memories.
Full origin of madeleine →Frequently asked questions
What does “madeleine” mean?
The word “madeleine” means a small, shell-shaped French sponge cake. In plain terms, a small shell-shaped cake — or, more figuratively, any small thing that suddenly unlocks a vivid memory.
How do you pronounce “madeleine”?
“Madeleine” is pronounced MADLIHN (/ˈmædələn/ in IPA).
How do you use “madeleine” in a sentence?
Here is “madeleine” used in a sentence: “She served warm madeleines with afternoon tea.”
What part of speech is “madeleine”?
Depending on how it is used, “madeleine” can be a noun and a name.
Where does the word “madeleine” come from?
The word “madeleine” comes from French. Named after the French given name Madeleine; sense 2 comes from a famous passage in Marcel Proust's novel In Search of Lost Time, where a bite of madeleine cake unlocks a flood of childhood memories.
Is “madeleine” a common word?
“Madeleine” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “madeleine” have?
“Madeleine” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a small, shell-shaped French sponge cake.
