consomme
Meaning
A clear soup made by boiling meat, bones, and vegetables, then straining the liquid.
Usage
The chef began the elaborate dinner with a delicate consommé garnished with fresh herbs.
A good consommé should be perfectly clear and rich in flavor.
She learned the traditional technique for clarifying a beef consommé.
Etymology
The word 'consomme' entered English in the early 19th century directly from French, where it is the past participle of the verb 'consommer', meaning 'to complete' or 'to finish'. This French verb originates from the Latin 'consummare', meaning 'to sum up' or 'to complete', itself formed from 'com-' (altogether) and 'summa' (the highest point, total). The culinary logic is elegant: the soup is the 'consummate' or 'finished' essence, the perfected and concentrated result of a long, careful process of boiling and straining ingredients to achieve a clear, flavorful liquid.
Analysis
This word is a direct loanword from French and is treated as a simplex unit in English. Its components are not productively used as separate morphemes in the English lexicon.