gratin
UK[ˈɡrætæ̃]US[ɡrɑːˈtæ̃]
n
A dish with a browned crust of breadcrumbs or melted cheese.
Etymology
The word 'gratin' entered English in the 19th century directly from French, specifically from the phrase 'au gratin', meaning 'with the scrapings'. The French noun 'gratin' derives from the verb 'gratter', meaning 'to scrape' or 'to grate', which itself originates from the Frankish (a Germanic language) word krattōn. This etymological journey reflects the culinary technique central to the dish: the process of scraping or grating ingredients like cheese or breadcrumbs to create the browned, crusty topping that defines it. The meaning thus evolved from the literal action of scraping to the name of the dish characterized by that action's delicious result.
Analysis
The word is a loanword from French and is not productively segmented using English morphemes. It is treated as a simplex unit.
Examples
For dinner, we had a delicious potato gratin with a crispy cheese topping.
The restaurant's signature dish is a seafood gratin baked in a cream sauce.
She sprinkled breadcrumbs over the vegetables to make a simple gratin.