Word of the Day

: July 24, 2011

confection

noun kun-FEK-shun

What It Means

1 : something put together from varied material

2 a : a fancy dish or sweetmeat; also : a sweet food

b : a work of fine or elaborate craftsmanship

c : a light but entertaining theatrical, cinematic, or literary work

confection in Context

Her novels are delightful confections, perfect for those relaxing reads by the pool.

"President Michael Sorenson explains that the company processes fruit into juice, purees, essences and custom mixes for use in the making of beverages, sauces, bakery items, confections and other products." -- From an article by Chris Petersen in Food and Drink, June 22, 2011

Did You Know?

A "confection" is "confected" from several different ingredients or elements. Most confections are sweet, but the word can also be used to refer to any finely worked piece of craftsmanship. In other words, the lacy box containing chocolate confections can be a confection itself. The verb "confect" (meaning "put together from varied material") comes from Latin "confectus," the past participle of "conficere," meaning "to prepare." "Conficere" joins the prefix "con-" with the common Latin verb "facere," meaning "to make" or "to do." "Factory," "manufacture," and "benefactor" are among the many relations.