marmalade

noun

mar·​ma·​lade ˈmär-mə-ˌlād 

: a clear sweetened jelly in which pieces of fruit and fruit rind are suspended

Examples of marmalade in a Sentence

a jar of orange marmalade

Recent Examples on the Web

Down in the basement, tidy racks held more than 15,000 glass jars: marmalades, pâté made from the meat of black Alpine pigs, and many vinegars—some flavored with white currants, others with spruce shoots or lavender. —Jeff Chu, Travel + Leisure, 13 Apr. 2025

And there’s chatter about a chorus line of dancing bears chomping away on marmalade sandwiches. —Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 23 Apr. 2025

For fans of marmalade sandwiches and whimsical bear adventures, this Notting Hill property may feel oddly familiar—and for good reason. —Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 22 Apr. 2025

Pair it with chop suey, or lamb and mint sauce or a marmalade tart prepared by an outré chef who spouts long stories of conflicted brilliant travels on leaking ships or saddled mules or trains with cracked windows. —Tom Mullen, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English marmelat quince conserve, Portuguese marmelada, from marmelo quince, from Latin melimelum, a sweet apple, from Greek melimēlon, from meli honey + mēlon apple — more at mellifluous

First Known Use

circa 1676, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for marmalade

• accolade
• ambuscade
• antegrade
• balustrade
• barricade
• cannonade
• cavalcade
• centigrade
• chambermaid
• colonnade
• countertrade
• disobeyed

Kids Definition

marmalade

noun

mar·​ma·​lade ˈmär-mə-ˌlād 

: a clear jelly containing pieces of fruit and fruit rind

orange marmalade

Etymology

from Portuguese marmelada "jelly made from quince," from marmelo "quince," from Latin melimelum "sweet apple," from Greek melimēlon (same meaning), from meli "honey" and mēlon "apple"

Word Origin

Many of us have eaten orange marmalade, but marmalade can be made from any of several fruits. The Portuguese made such a jelly from the quince, a fruit that looks a bit like a yellow apple. The Portuguese word for the quince is marmelo, which is based on the Latin word melimelum, meaning "a sweet apple." The Portuguese called the jelly they made from the quince marmelada. English borrowed this word as marmalade.