margarine

noun

mar·​ga·​rine ˈmär-jə-rən 

-ˌrēn;

ˈmärj-rən

: a food product made usually from vegetable oils churned with ripened skim milk to a smooth emulsion and used like butter

Examples of margarine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Even the innocuous margarine did not receive a warm welcome when it was introduced in the United States in 1870. —Edoardo Campanella, Foreign Affairs, 15 May 2017

Do not use margarine; margarine contains water and this will affect the outcome of your cookies. Sugar. —Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 15 Aug. 2024

When a court voided a ban on margarine in New York, dairy farmers sought Congressional passage of the Margarine Act of 1886 to protect their product: real butter. —San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 June 2024

Vegetable oil, a crucial ingredient in margarine, is in tighter supply. —Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN, 11 May 2023

Word History

Etymology

French, ultimately from Greek margaron pearl, probably back-formation from margaritēs

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

margarine

noun

mar·​ga·​rine ˈmärj-(ə-)rən 

ˈmärj-ə-ˌrēn

: a food product made from usually vegetable oils and skim milk and used as a spread and a cooking fat

Medical Definition

margarine

noun

mar·​ga·​rine ˈmärj-(ə-)rən, -ə-ˌrēn 

: a food product made usually from vegetable oils churned with ripened skim milk to a smooth emulsion, often fortified with vitamins A and D, and used as a substitute for butter