au gratin
4
6.3
- adjective
- /oʊ ˈɡrɑːtæn/
:
gratinado
- At the restaurant, I ordered the au gratin vegetables, which were baked until crispy and bubbling.
- potatoes au gratin
- broccoli au gratin
- chops au gratin
Examples
-
She had cut beans and baked beans, potatoes au gratin, as well as a rice dish, a compote with fruit, and three kinds of cake.
Fiction book (2000) -
"And I want a stuffed tomato, potatoes au gratin, corn on the cob, muffins, and chocolate ice cream," Alabama interrupted impatiently.
Fiction book (1997) -
Father, please pass the au gratin potatoes.
-
We have broccoli au gratin, but it's good.
-
Potatoes au gratin.
-
He pours himself a drink and takes out the leftover prime rib, beets, and potatoes au gratin to heat up.
Fiction book (1996) -
Robert invited us to a great meal of chicken, au gratin potatoes (funeral potatoes where we live), and cherry cobbler, cooked in three different ovens.
Blog text (20) -
Janet, balancing a plate of potatoes au gratin and several bowls of canned grapefruit, caught up with Nick, where he was waiting for somebody to refill the canister of chocolate milk.
Fiction book (1991) -
Pinwheel rolls, chequered cakes, steamed cucumber slices with cheese and lemon, stuffed eggplant au gratin.
Fiction book (1994) -
The dish was a delicious au gratin made with creamy potatoes and topped with golden breadcrumbs.
Synonyms
8
4.4
A baked dish with a browned crust of cheese or breadcrumbs
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
au + gratin
Although 'au gratin' is a French borrowing, its parts are compositionally meaningful: 'au' corresponds to 'with' and 'gratin' denotes a baked topping of cheese/breadcrumbs. If a B1 learner knows both constituents, the combined meaning 'with a gratin topping / covered with browned breadcrumbs and cheese and baked' is directly derivable, so the phrase is transparent.
Etymology
Au gratin is a French cooking phrase that paints a clear picture: au means 'with' and gratin refers to a browned, crunchy crust of cheese or breadcrumbs on top of the food. That's why when a dish is called au gratin, it means 'covered with a browned, crispy topping'.