noun
Uncommon
madeleine
MADLIHN
Madeleine (noun) means a small, shell-shaped French sponge cake. Example: “She served warm madeleines with afternoon tea.”
noun
1
A small, shell-shaped French sponge cake.
"Madeleine batter can be made in advance and refrigerated."
— Emily Luchetti, A Passion for Desserts (2003)
"She served warm madeleines with afternoon tea."
2
Something ordinary that triggers a powerful, unexpected memory.
"The smell of chalk dust was a madeleine that brought back her whole school life."
name
1
A female given name, a French form of Madeline.
""We've been making up the most glamorous names for you, Marguerite and Marlene and Madeleine―" "And Melanie and Marianne and Marietta," put in Jane."
— Joan G. Robinson, When Marnie Was There (1967)
How to use madeleine
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA small shell-shaped cake — or, more figuratively, any small thing that suddenly unlocks a vivid memory.
Common pairings
a madeleine moment
baked madeleines
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Word forms
- Plural
- madeleines
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She served warm _____ with afternoon tea.
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.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for madeleine
See all rhymes for 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.
