flan

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noun \ ˈflan , ˈflän \

Definition of flan

1 a :an open pie containing any of various sweet or savory fillings

b :custard baked with a caramel glaze

2 :the metal disk of a coin, token, or medal as distinguished from the design and lettering stamped on it

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Recent Examples of flan from the Web

The Yankee-Miami romance was rekindled by desserts that cleverly merged the two worlds, particularly the pastelito ice cream sandwich drizzled with caramel sauce and the café con leche flan baked on a brownie bottom.

— by jodi mailander farrell, miamiherald, "Spunky Ella’s adds oysters to growing Little Havana mix," 9 Aug. 2017
Desserts like churros, tres leches cake, flan and fried ice cream are $6.

— leeanne griffin, courant.com, "Ocho Cafe: Specialty Tacos And Tequila In West Hartford," 7 Aug. 2017
For dessert, there’s homemade chocoflan, regular flan or a fried plaintain with caramel.

— bud kennedy, star-telegram.com, "A new chicken mole at Frida’s, and prepare for the Peach Festival," 5 July 2017
Entrees like the chicken pipian are a hit, as are the desserts like churros, flan or bunuelos, delightful fried dough balls served with ice cream.

— jane donahue, Naperville Sun, "Modern Mexican is what's on the menu at Quiubo," 14 June 2017
The flan is a floppy little cylinder of creamy, eggy, sugary custard with citrus notes and a side of tahini (sesame seeds) crumble.

— allyson reedy, The Know, "Best Thing We Ate This Week: Flan and Künefe at El Five," 8 June 2017
Creamy, thick, rich, soft, firm, refined, rustic … there are so many good ways to make Mexican flan.

— brad a. johnson, Orange County Register, "Best thing I ate: classic Mexican flan," 31 May 2017
El Fogon also has specialty dishes such as the Hawaiano with seasoned steak, ham, pineapple and cheese, and several desserts including flan.

— joyce smith, kansascity.com, "Westport’s new Mexican restaurant will offer fresh salsas, tortillas," 26 May 2017
Folding tables were set up with a feast, from meatballs to arroz con pollo, from Caesar salads to quinoa, homemade cookies to flan.

— carlos frías, miamiherald, "How to design an icebreaker for an entire city? Start with lunch," 22 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'flan.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of flan

French, from Old French flaon, from Late Latin fladon-, flado flat cake, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German flado flat cake

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First Known Use: 1846

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FLAN Defined for English Language Learners

flan

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noun

Definition of flan for English Language Learners

: a type of sweet dessert made of a smooth, thick custard covered with caramel
: an open pie containing any of various fillings

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