marshmallow

noun

marsh·​mal·​low ˈmärsh-ˌme-lō 

-ˌma-

1

usually marsh mallow : a pink-flowered European perennial herb (Althaea officinalis) of the mallow family that is naturalized in the eastern U.S. and has flowers, leaves, and roots used in herbal remedies

2

: a sweet white confection usually in the form of a spread or small spongy cylindrical pieces now usually made from corn syrup, sugar, albumen, and gelatin but formerly from the marshmallow's root

also : one of these spongy pieces

toasted marshmallows on sticks over a campfire

marshmallowy

ˈmärsh-ˌme-lə-wē 

-ˌma-

adjective

Examples of marshmallow in a Sentence

We toasted marshmallows over the fire.

Recent Examples on the Web

In the evenings, join other families for a movie night under the stars or roasting marshmallows at the nightly campfire. —Ronny Maye, Forbes.com, 20 July 2025

The buttery crust is topped with a thick chocolate filling before the marshmallow meringue tops the pie for a dessert that never misses. —Josh Miller, Southern Living, 17 July 2025

Featuring the same irresistible taste fans love, Oreo Puffs combine crunchy, chocolatey cereal puffs and marshmallows in every bite. —Adam Mills, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 July 2025

Her favorite is The Michelin Man: a marshmallow and white truffle Ramos gin fizz. —Hadley Hitson, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for marshmallow

• morello
• othello
• schoolfellow
• cello
• fellow
• jello
• mellow
• melo
• velo
• portobello
• violoncello

Kids Definition

marshmallow

noun

marsh·​mal·​low ˈmärsh-ˌmel-ō 

-ˌmal-

1

: a pink-flowered herb related to the mallows that has a root sometimes used in sweets and in medicine

2

: a soft spongy sweet formerly made from the root of the marshmallow but now usually prepared from corn syrup, sugar, albumen, and gelatin

Medical Definition

marshmallow

noun

marsh·​mal·​low ˈmärsh-ˌmel-ō, -ˌmel-ə(-w), -ˌmal- 

: a European perennial herb of the genus Althaea (A. officinalis) naturalized in the eastern United States whose pink flowers, velvety leaves, and mucilaginous root are used in herbal medicine and whose root was formerly used in confectionary see althaea sense 2