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Glite Dictionary
molded salad

molded salad

6.3
A cold dish of meat, fruit, or vegetables set in gelatin and shaped in a mold
  • noun
  • /moʊldɪd ˈsæləd/
  • US
translation icon : ensalada moldeada
  • My grandmother always prepared a molded salad with vegetables and ham for our holiday dinners.

Examples

  • Retro cookbooks often feature recipes for molded salad made with fruit and whipped cream.

  • I made a delicious molded salad for dinner.

  • The molded salad wobbled slightly as it was brought to the table, its colorful layers clearly visible.

  • Have you ever tried a molded salad?

  • For the summer picnic, she prepared a bright molded salad with layers of vegetables and gelatin.

  • The chef showcased his culinary skills by creating an artistic molded salad that impressed all the guests.

  • At the fancy dinner, the molded salad was served as an elegant starter, beautifully shaped and garnished.

Surface Forms

molded salad singular
molded salads plural
moulded salads plural
moulded salad singular

Morphology

molded + salad

The meaning 'a salad shaped in a mold' is directly and compositionally derived from 'molded' (shaped using a mold) + 'salad' (a mixed-food dish). This follows a straightforward adjective+noun pattern and is cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would very likely infer the intended meaning.

Etymology

Molded salad comes from how the dish is made: ingredients are mixed into gelatin or jelly and poured into a mold, so they are literally molded into a shape. That's why the name means a salad that is 'set in gelatin' and 'shaped' for serving.