madeleine

noun

mad·​e·​leine ˈma-də-lən  ˌma-də-ˈlān 

1

: a small rich shell-shaped cake

2

: one that evokes a memory

Did you know?

The Madeleine Goes Back to France

The madeleine is said to have been named after a 19th-century French cook named Madeleine Paumier, but it was the French author Marcel Proust who immortalized the pastry in his 1913 book Swann's Way, the first volume of his seven-part novel Remembrance of Things Past. In that work, a taste of tea-soaked cake evokes a surge of memory and nostalgia. As more and more readers chewed on the profound mnemonic power attributed to a mere morsel of cake, the word madeleine itself became a designation for anything that evokes a memory.

Examples of madeleine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Founder Christina Tosi’s most famous innovation was cereal-milk soft serve, which worked like Proust’s madeleine for downwardly mobile millennials. —Nate Jones, Vulture, 20 Aug. 2024

Plus, a few more ideas for the person who’s obsessed with all things French: A set of silicone madeleine molds for that Proust moment, luxe fleur de sel harvested from the actual French seaside, and a striped linen bag specifically for transporting and storing baguettes. —Mackenzie Chung Fegan, Bon Appétit, 24 Oct. 2024

The welcome ritual is deceptively simple: a warm madeleine and an espresso that recalibrated my caffeine standards. —Paul Jebara, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2024

Try madeleines from Madeleines de Christophe — while the treat is found all over France, this shop has the very best. —Mark Bonte, Travel + Leisure, 4 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French, perhaps from Madeleine Paumier, 19th century French pastry cook

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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