ramekin
UK[ˈramɪkɪn]US[ˈræmɪkɪn]
n
A small dish for baking and serving an individual portion of food.
Etymology
The word 'ramekin' has a culinary journey from Dutch to French and then into English. It originates from the Dutch dialect word 'rammeken', which was a diminutive form meaning 'little cream'. This term referred to a dish of cheese and eggs baked in a small mold. Adopted into French as 'ramequin', it retained its association with a small, baked dish. English borrowed the term in the early 18th century, preserving both the form and the specific sense of a small, individual baking dish.
Analysis
The word is a simplex loanword. It entered English as a single unit from French.
Examples
The chef prepared the soufflés in individual buttered ramekins.
For the dinner party, the crème brûlée was served in ceramic ramekins.
She placed a ramekin of dipping sauce beside the main plate.