Welsh rarebit
1
7.9
- noun
- /wɛlʃ ˈrɛrbɪt/
- UK
:
rarebit galés
- She made a traditional Welsh rarebit using strong cheddar and dark beer.
Examples
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You can put this on a Welsh rarebit.
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Mine got near the end when you ate that second Welsh rarebit.
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Didn't he want his welsh rarebit?
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- Next, I'd like a largish Welsh rarebit.
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I am exceedingly fond of Welsh rarebit.
Academic text (2006) -
A Welsh rarebit.
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For dinner, we enjoyed a delicious Welsh rarebit topped with crispy bacon.
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On a chilly evening, nothing beats a hot Welsh rarebit served over toasted bread.
Synonyms
1
9.5
A hot dish of melted cheese served on toasted bread often made with beer
1
6.7
Melted cheese served hot on toast, often with beer or mustard
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase is compositional: 'Welsh' simply specifies the origin/style and 'rarebit' names the dish (melted cheese on toast), so the combined meaning — a Welsh-style rarebit — is directly derivable from the parts. Although 'rarebit' is a relatively uncommon word, a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE's meaning because it follows the standard adjective + noun naming pattern.
Etymology
Welsh rarebit got its name as a joke: one popular story says people used to call simple melted cheese on toast 'Welsh rabbit' to tease the Welsh, and later the name changed to rarebit. Because it is melted cheese served on hot toast, the name now means this tasty 'cheese on toast' dish.