meringue
UK[məˈræŋ]US[məˈræŋ]
n
A light, sweet food made by baking a mixture of egg whites and sugar until crisp.
n
A topping or filling for pies, cakes, etc., made from a mixture of egg whites and sugar that is beaten until stiff.
Etymology
The word 'meringue' entered English in the early 18th century from the French word of the same spelling. The French term is believed to derive from the name of the Swiss town of Meiringen, though this origin is not definitively proven. The culinary creation itself is thought to have been perfected by a Swiss pastry cook, cementing the association with the region. The journey from a potential place name to a specific culinary term exemplifies how words can evolve from concrete proper nouns into abstract common nouns describing a product or concept.
Analysis
The word is a simplex loanword from French. It cannot be meaningfully segmented into productive morphemes within English spelling.
Examples
The lemon pie was crowned with a perfectly browned meringue.
She carefully folded the sugar into the whipped egg whites to make the meringue.
These light meringue cookies simply melt in your mouth.