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Glite Dictionary
carrageen

carrageen

9.8
A dark purple edible seaweed from Atlantic coasts used to thicken food
  • noun
  • /ˈkɛrɪˌɡin/
translation icon : carragenina
  • The recipe calls for carrageen as a natural thickener for the dessert.

Examples

  • The chef added carrageen to the soup to give it a creamy texture.

  • You can find carrageen in health food stores because it is rich in nutrients.

  • He'd buy carrageen, dilisk, and dulse if he could get it, but the youngsters knew nothing of such, and the old folks couldn't be bothered.

    Fiction book (1997)

Synonyms

carageen
vscarrageen
  • Specialized
9.6

A dark purple seaweed eaten and used to thicken food like puddings

focuses on use as a food thickener rather than as medicine
Irish moss
vscarrageen
7.4

A dark purple seaweed eaten and used to make food thicker

is mainly the cooking thickener version rather than a general supplement
Chondrus crispus
vscarrageen
  • Specialized
9.1

A dark purple edible seaweed found on Atlantic coasts used to thicken food

is the common edible seaweed name rather than the scientific species
sea moss
vscarrageen
6.9

A red sea plant used as food and to thicken dishes

names the single dark purple edible seaweed used specifically for thickening

Surface Forms

carrageen singular
carrageens plural

Etymology

Carrageen comes from the Irish word carraigín, which means 'little rock', because this dark seaweed often grows on coastal rocks. So, the name became the name for the edible seaweed we now use as a natural thickener in soups and desserts.