marmalade

noun

mar·​ma·​lade ˈmär-mə-ˌlād 

: a clear sweetened jelly in which pieces of fruit and fruit rind are suspended

Examples of marmalade in a Sentence

a jar of orange marmalade

Recent Examples on the Web

As delicious as a marmalade sandwich can be, too many can be just too much, especially when they aren’t made by the same person, who knows how to spread the jam just right. —Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 14 Feb. 2025

Innocent and charming as ever, Paddington (voiced by Ben Whishaw) still has his passions set on adventure, friendship, and a good marmalade sandwich. —Troy Aidan Sambajon, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Feb. 2025

As for the tea itself, expect the lot—scones with dollops of Devonshire Cream, mixed berry, and clementine marmalades, and seasonal English tea sandwiches. —Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 9 Feb. 2025

The palate is rich, complex, and multi-layered, offering marmalade, cloves, toffee, and tropical fruit notes. —Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English marmelat quince conserve, Portuguese marmelada, from marmelo quince, from Latin melimelum, a sweet apple, from Greek melimēlon, from meli honey + mēlon apple — more at mellifluous

First Known Use

circa 1676, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for marmalade

• accolade
• ambuscade
• antegrade
• balustrade
• barricade
• cannonade
• cavalcade
• centigrade
• chambermaid
• colonnade
• countertrade
• disobeyed

Kids Definition

marmalade

noun

mar·​ma·​lade ˈmär-mə-ˌlād 

: a clear jelly containing pieces of fruit and fruit rind

orange marmalade

Etymology

from Portuguese marmelada "jelly made from quince," from marmelo "quince," from Latin melimelum "sweet apple," from Greek melimēlon (same meaning), from meli "honey" and mēlon "apple"

Word Origin

Many of us have eaten orange marmalade, but marmalade can be made from any of several fruits. The Portuguese made such a jelly from the quince, a fruit that looks a bit like a yellow apple. The Portuguese word for the quince is marmelo, which is based on the Latin word melimelum, meaning "a sweet apple." The Portuguese called the jelly they made from the quince marmelada. English borrowed this word as marmalade.