praline
UK[ˈprɑːliːn]US[ˈpreɪliːn]
n
A smooth, sweet substance made by boiling nuts in sugar, often used as a filling for chocolates or as a confection.
n
A type of candy consisting of a nut, typically a pecan or almond, coated in this sugary substance.
Etymology
The word 'praline' entered English from French in the early 18th century. The French term 'praline' is derived from the name of Marshal du Plessis-Praslin, a 17th-century French diplomat whose personal chef is credited with inventing the confection. The name 'Praslin' itself originates from a place name in France. Thus, the word's journey is not one of morphemic composition but of eponymy, where a proper name became permanently associated with a specific culinary creation, a common phenomenon in the lexicon of food.
Analysis
The word 'praline' is a simplex loanword from French. It does not contain separable morphemes in its current English spelling that carry distinct, analyzable meanings.
Examples
The box of chocolates was filled with a variety of flavors, including a rich hazelnut praline.
She made a delicious pecan praline sauce to drizzle over the ice cream.
Traditional New Orleans pralines are a creamy, cookie-like candy made with brown sugar and pecans.