croque monsieur

noun

croque mon·​sieur ˌkrȯk-məs-ˈyər 

-ˈyə,

ˌkräk-,

ˌkrōk-,

-məsh-

variants or Croque Monsieur or less commonly croque-monsieur

plural croque monsieurs ˌkrȯk-məs-ˈyər(z) 

-ˈyə(z),

ˌkräk-,

ˌkrōk-,

-məsh-

or Croque Monsieurs also croque-monsieurs

: a ham and cheese sandwich often with béchamel sauce that is sometimes dipped in egg batter before being grilled, baked, or pan-fried

At one point they were in Paris and shared a croque monsieur, a hot sandwich made with ham and cheese.

—Dan McGowan

Fill the bread with ham and cheese to make two sandwiches, or croque monsieurs, then toast them for 1-2 minutes under a grill …

—Victoria Gray

And while most croque monsieur recipes use béchamel sauce with grated gruyère, this one combines both to make a mornay sauce …

—Jessica Yadegaran

… we never found mustard or any other condiment included on any Croque Monsieur when we were in Paris.

—Tallahasee (Florida) Democrat

compare croque madame

Examples of croque monsieur in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Diners can enjoy croquettes, escargot, croque monsieur, and more. —Gabi De La Rosa, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025

The breakfast and brunch menu includes French toast, biscuits and gravy, croque monsieur, eggs benedict and Belgian waffles. —Endia Fontanez, AZCentral.com, 2 Oct. 2025

This charming French cafe and bakery serves pastries, fresh bread and classic French dishes like quiche and croque monsieurs. —Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025

The two ordered the croque monsieur, gratin de macaroni and a side of fries. —Richard Johnson, New York Daily News, 11 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, literally, "(one) bites with a crunch (the) gentleman"

First Known Use

1915, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for croque monsieur

• abjure
• adjure
• allure
• assure
• brochure
• cocksure
• coiffure
• contour
• couture
• demure
• detour
• endure