cornmeal mush
1
4.0
- noun
- /ˈkɔrnˌmil mʌʃ/
- US
- In both regions, cornmeal mush (polenta in Italy and mamaliga in Romania) became the staple, replacing bread and pasta, wheat products eaten nearby.
Examples
-
My dad and grandfather also used to eat fried cornmeal mush for breakfast (served with maple syrup).
Blog text (1) -
The sun was already high when Grandma One Rock woke them to a big breakfast of black coffee, cornmeal mush, ham, sugared frybread, and a big bowl of tiny, fresh-picked wild strawberries.
Fiction book (1993) -
I slouched to the cabin to eat more cornmeal mush.
Fiction book (1999) -
Through most of the week, we ate cornmeal mush for breakfast and corn pones for bread.
Fiction book (2002) -
They fed the tired travelers bowls of cornmeal mush in silence and gave them a bed in which to sleep.
Fiction book (1990) -
For breakfast this morning, they got mamaliga, a cornmeal mush, served not, as before, with liquid sheep's cheese, but with a slick of pork fat over the top, as clear as the poured-glass windows of the Moon Church in Oradea.
Fiction book (2002) -
Both Romanians and Italians have developed mini-cuisines for cornmeal mush, especially in its congealed form, which can be sliced or stuffed and served with other foods.
Academic text (1992) -
For breakfast, we enjoyed a warm bowl of cornmeal mush topped with honey and fresh fruit.
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After cooking the cornmeal mush for several minutes, she stirred in some butter and salt for flavor.
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He served the cornmeal mush with a side of sautéed vegetables for a hearty meal.
Synonyms
36
3.6
A soft thick porridge made from cornmeal
26
1.0
Soft warm food made by boiling oats in milk or water until thick
15
6.5
A soft food made from boiled cornmeal often served hot
13
8.1
A thin hot food made by boiling ground grain in water or milk
1
9.9
A hot thick porridge that you make from oatmeal and boiling water
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is fully compositional: 'cornmeal' (coarsely ground maize) combined with 'mush' (a thick porridge) yields a porridge-like dish made from cornmeal. This noun+noun ingredient/type construction is transparent and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents can infer the meaning.
Etymology
Cornmeal mush comes from the way the food is made: ground cornmeal is boiled in water or milk until it becomes thick and soft, and that soft food was called mush. So the name simply describes a 'thick, porridge-like' dish made from cornmeal.