noun

sorbet

SAW-bay

Quiz me More like this

Sorbet (noun) means a frozen dessert made from sweetened fruit juice or puree, sometimes lightened with egg white, often served between courses of a meal to cleanse the palate. Example: “We finished the tasting menu with a scoop of lemon sorbet.”

noun

A frozen dessert made from sweetened fruit juice or puree, sometimes lightened with egg white, often served between courses of a meal to cleanse the palate.

"After dinner we had an orange sorbet that was very refreshing."

"We finished the tasting menu with a scoop of lemon sorbet."

"Unlike ice cream, sorbet contains no dairy."

How to use sorbet

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishFruity, icy dessert with no cream in it — the dairy-free cousin of ice cream.

Common mistake

Don't confuse with sherbet, which in the US usually contains a small amount of dairy; sorbet never does.

Easily confused with

sherbet →

Common pairings

lemon sorbet a scoop of sorbet palate-cleansing sorbet

Vocabulary Flow

Build your vocabulary from words like sorbet.

Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.

Start vocabulary practice

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

Word forms

Plural: sorbets

Test yourself on “sorbet” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

We finished the tasting menu with a scoop of lemon _____.

Etymology

Traced back through French and Italian to Ottoman Turkish şerbet and Arabic sharba ("a drink"); a distant relative of both "sherbet" and "syrup."

Origin: French

Synonyms

View more →

water ice

Related words

ice

Frequently asked questions

What does “sorbet” mean?

The word “sorbet” means a frozen dessert made from sweetened fruit juice or puree, sometimes lightened with egg white, often served between courses of a meal to cleanse the palate. In plain terms, fruity, icy dessert with no cream in it — the dairy-free cousin of ice cream.

How do you pronounce “sorbet”?

“Sorbet” is pronounced SAW-bay (/sɔɹˈbeɪ/ in IPA).

How do you use “sorbet” in a sentence?

Here is “sorbet” used in a sentence: “We finished the tasting menu with a scoop of lemon sorbet.”

What part of speech is “sorbet”?

“Sorbet” is a noun.

Where does the word “sorbet” come from?

The word “sorbet” comes from French. Traced back through French and Italian to Ottoman Turkish şerbet and Arabic sharba ("a drink"); a distant relative of both "sherbet" and "syrup.".

People also searched

ice