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Glite Dictionary
hushpuppy

hushpuppy

1 8.4
A small fried ball made from cornmeal batter, often served as a side with fish
  • noun
  • /ˈhʌʃˌpʌpi/
  • US
translation icon : hushpuppy
  • During the picnic, I made sure to bring a batch of homemade hushpuppies as a tasty side.
  • fried hushpuppies
  • catfish and hushpuppies

Examples

  • Judge Oldfield sat toward the rear, alone for a wonder, behind a plate of fried catfish, hushpuppies, and boiled greens.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • The restaurant is famous for its crispy hushpuppies, which pair perfectly with their seafood dishes.

  • It's basically the size of a hushpuppy, and you get exactly one for your $4.00.

    Blog text (6)

  • So have you tried the hushpuppies, or what?

    Tag (2018)

  • The Hushpuppy drops in the skillet and sizzles in oil.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • Some chicken and fried mush, and about 50 hushpuppies apiece.

    All the Young Men (1960)

  • These hushpuppies are insane.

    Tag (2018)

  • I'm going to take a full slab of the baby backs, and I'm going to take that with mashed taters, hushpuppies and I'm going to have a sweet tea.

    Identity Thief (2013)

  • When we fish it, we pull out small pike, slender as eels, and catfish, chubby as kittens, to fry with hushpuppies, grits, and coleslaw.

    Academic text (2008)

  • For dinner, we ordered fried catfish and a side of hushpuppies to share.

Synonyms

hush puppy
vshushpuppy
  • US
4 5.3

A small deep-fried ball made from cornmeal with spices served as a side

has the same meaning but presented as one word and without seasoning mention

Surface Forms

hushpuppy singular
hushpuppies plural

Morphology

hushpuppy = hush + puppy (opaque) = hush + puppy

Although formed from the words 'hush' + 'puppy' (historically referring to quieting dogs), the food meaning ('deep-fried cornmeal ball') is arbitrary and not derivable from the components.

Etymology

Hushpuppy comes from the two simple words hush 'be quiet' and puppy 'young dog'. One popular story says cooks would tell dogs to 'hush, puppy' while frying these small cornmeal balls, so hushpuppy now means a small, deep-fried cornmeal ball served as a side.