quenelle
UK[kəˈnɛl]US[kəˈnɛl]
n
A light, seasoned dumpling made from finely minced meat or fish, bound with eggs and fat, and poached, typically served in French cuisine.
n
A gesture of protest in which one arm is straightened and pointed diagonally downwards while the other hand grips the bicep of the straightened arm.
Etymology
The word 'quenelle' entered English directly from French in the 19th century, specifically denoting the delicate culinary dumpling. The French term itself is believed to be a borrowing from the Alsatian German 'Knödel', a word for dumpling common in Central European cuisines. 'Knödel' traces back to a Middle High German root meaning 'knot' or 'lump', a fitting descriptor for the food's shape and consistency. The modern, secondary meaning of 'quenelle' as an insulting gesture emerged in 21st-century French political discourse, drawing an abstract visual analogy to the elongated, oval shape of the dumpling, thereby extending the word's semantic field from cuisine to symbolic protest.
Analysis
This word is a direct borrowing from French. It does not contain separable morphemes within its English spelling. Its French origin is likely from the Alsatian German 'Knödel' (dumpling), which itself derives from a Germanic root related to a knot or lump.
Examples
The chef expertly formed the salmon mixture into a perfect quenelle before poaching it.
The classic quenelle de brochet, or pike dumpling, is a specialty of Lyon.
The controversial figure was photographed making a quenelle gesture in front of a public monument.