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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The menu offers roast chicken, velvety purées, and indulgent duck confit that feel both classic and comforting. Aaron Randolph, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025 Duck confit veers toward the finer side, a delicate duck leg served on a silver platter with a sweet-savory creamy cherry glaze spilled beneath it. Lyndsay C. Green, Freep.com, 31 Oct. 2025 Also try the herbed cavatelli in lamb ragout − one of my favorite pasta dishes in town − or the duck confit served on a bed of creamy cassoulet beans cooked low and slow in a stock of ham scraps and leeks. Keith Pandolfi, Cincinnati Enquirer, 24 Oct. 2025 The 16-ounce prime Angus New York strip includes duck fat confit Dutch potatoes, pancetta, king trumpet mushrooms, roasted pearl onions, Shropshire blue cheese, red frill mustard and Cabernet reduction. Jessica Peralta, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Confit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confit. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.

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