marshmallow

marshmallow

See also: Marshmallow

English

a marshmallow flower
Althaea officinalis

Marshmallows (confection).

Alternative forms

• marsh mallow, marsh-mallow

Etymology

From Old English mersċmealwe, corresponding to marsh +‎ mallow.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /mɑːʃˈmæləʊ/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈmɑɹʃˌmɛl.oʊ/, /ˈmɑɹʃˌmæl.oʊ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æləʊ

Noun

marshmallow (plural marshmallows)

1. Marsh mallow, a species of mallow, Althaea officinalis, that grows in marshy terrain. [from 9th c.]
   • 1653, Nicholas Culpeper, The English Physician Enlarged, Folio Society 2007, page 180:

     Our common Marsh Mallows have diverse soft, hoary white stalks rising to be three or four foot high, spreading forth many branches.

2. A type of confectionery, originally (since Ancient Egyptian times) made from this plant, but now generally made of sugar or corn syrup, gelatin that has been pre-softened in water, gum arabic, flavorings, and sometimes beaten egg whites, all whipped to a spongy consistency. [from 19th c.]
   • 1906, Elbert Hubbard, Love, Life and Work:

     The Disagreeable Girl is a female of the genus homo persuasion, built around a digestive apparatus that possesses marked marshmallow proclivities.

   • December 1915, P. G. Wodehouse, "My Battle with Drink", in Vanity Fair

     It was an apple marshmallow sundae, I recollect. I dug my spoon into it with an assumption of gaiety which I was far from feeling.

3. (figuratively) Someone who is soft and benign.

   He acts like a total badass, but he's really just a marshmallow once you get to know him.

Descendants

Descendants of marshmallow in other languages

• Dutch: marshmallow
• French: marshmallow
• German: Marshmallow
• Japanese: マシュマロ (mashumaro)
• Korean: 마시멜로 (masimello)
• Portuguese: marshmallow
• Russian: маршмэ́ллоу (maršmɛ́llou)

Translations

plant — see marsh mallow

confectionery

Afrikaans: malvalekker, marshmallow Arabic: خِطْمِيّ‎ m (ḵiṭmiyy) Armenian: մարշմելոու (maršmelou) Catalan: pasta de malví f Chinese: Cantonese: 棉花糖 (min4 faa1 tong4-2) Mandarin: 軟糖／软糖 (zh) (ruǎntáng), 果醬軟糖／果酱软糖 (guǒjiàng ruǎntáng), 棉花糖 (zh) (miánhuā táng) Danish: skumfidus n, marshmallow c Dutch: marshmallow (nl) m Esperanto: marŝmalo Faroese: skúmgæti n Finnish: vaahtokarkki (fi) French: guimauve (fr) f, marshmallow (fr) m, chamallow (fr) m German: Mäusespeck (de) m, Marshmallow (de) n Hebrew: מרשמלו‎ (he) Hungarian: mályvacukor (hu), pillecukor (hu) Icelandic: sykurpúði m Italian: marshmallow (it), toffoletta f Japanese: マシュマロ (mashumaro) Korean: 마시멜로 (masimello) Latin: pasta hibisci Marathi: मार्शमेलो m (mārśamelo) Norwegian: Bokmål: marshmallow m Persian: مارشمالو‎ (mârshmâlo), پفنبات‎ (fa) (pof-nabât) Polish: pianka (pl) f Portuguese: marshmallow m, maxemelo m, merengue (pt) m Romanian: bezea (ro) f, nalbă (ro) f Russian: маршмэ́ллоу (ru) n (maršmɛ́llou) Saterland Frisian: Malve Spanish: malvavisco (es) m, (Venezuela) carlotina f, (Costa Rica) marsmelo m, (Chile) sustancia (es) f, (Mexico) bombón (es) m, espumilla f, nubes (es) f pl Swedish: marshmallow Thai: มาร์ชแมลโลว์ (máach-mɛn-lôo)

Verb

marshmallow (third-person singular simple present marshmallows, present participle marshmallowing, simple past and past participle marshmallowed)

1. To soften (literally or figuratively)
   • 2005, Ken Gunther, Lilith: A Biography

     For i could still feel her small face in my hands, her lips marshmallowing under the brushing knuckle of my index, the hard press of her capable contoured body.

   • 2005, Joylynn Jossel, If I Ruled the World

     He didn't know if touching me meant that I would marshmallow up or if he would have to brace himself for a blow.

   • 2011, JB Sanders, Glen & Tyler's Honeymoon Adventure

     Various dishes heaped with food were tucked haphazardly all over: mounds of whipped potatoes, medleys of buttered vegetables, marshmallowed sweet potatoes, oyster stuffing, cranberry sauce (fresh from the can) and even more dishes

References

• marshmallow at OneLook Dictionary Search

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Portuguese

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English marshmallow.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˌmaʁ.ʃeˈmɛ.lo(w)/ [ˌmah.ʃeˈmɛ.lo(ʊ̯)]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˌmaʁ.ʃeˈmɛ.lo(w)/ [ˌmah.ʃeˈmɛ.lo(ʊ̯)]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /ˌmaɾ.ʃeˈmɛ.lo(w)/ [ˌmaɾ.ʃeˈmɛ.lo(ʊ̯)]
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /ˌmaʁ.ʃeˈmɛ.lo(w)/ [ˌmaχ.ʃeˈmɛ.lo(ʊ̯)]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˌmaɻ.ʃeˈmɛ.lo(w)/ [ˌmaɻ.ʃeˈmɛ.lo(ʊ̯)]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˌmaɾʃˈmɛ.low/, /maɾ.ʃɨˈmɛ.law/

Noun

marshmallow m (plural marshmallows)

1. marshmallow (pre-softened confectionery made with sugar, corn syrup, egg whites and gelatin)

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Spanish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English marshmallow.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /maɾʃˈmalo/ [maɾʃˈma.lo]
• Rhymes: -alo

Noun

marshmallow m (plural marshmallows)

1. marshmallow

Usage notes

• According to Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) prescriptions, unadapted foreign words should be written in italics in a text printed in roman type, and vice versa, and in quotation marks in a manuscript text or when italics are not available. In practice, this RAE prescription is not always followed.