confit

noun

con·​fit kōn-ˈfē How to pronounce confit (audio)
kȯn-
kän-
1
: meat (such as goose, duck, or pork) that has been cooked and preserved in its own fat
2
: a garnish made usually from fruit or vegetables that are cooked until tender in a seasoned liquid

Examples of confit in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The lobster fries were buttery with a generous portion of the poached crustacean, plus truffle mayo, mozzarella, garlic confit and cilantro. Senior Food Editor, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026 Perez cooks his suadero confit in an aged beef tallow cultivated for four years. Matthew Odam, Austin American Statesman, 2 Apr. 2026 Then choose a brunch entrée from selections including French toast, smoked salmon with labneh, duck confit fried rice, breakfast sliders and steak and eggs. Laura Ness, Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2026 The warm confit cabbage salad, a quarter of a cabbage head so tender it could easily be cut with a fork, may as well have been made entirely out of miso butter. Henri Hollis, AJC.com, 12 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for confit

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, noun derivative from past participle of confire "to treat (food, an animal or vegetable substance) in order to preserve it," going back to Old French "to prepare (a drink), preserve (fruit) in a liquid or sugar," going back to Latin conficere "to carry out, perform, make, bring about, collect, bring to completion" — more at confect

Note: In sense 1 the French word is most likely a gallicized form of the cognate word in the Occitan of Gascony or Languedoc. See note at comfit.

First Known Use

1951, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of confit was in 1951

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Confit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confit. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.

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