Word of the Day

: April 27, 2017

junket

noun JUNK-ut

What It Means

1 : a dessert of sweetened flavored milk set with rennet

2 a : a festive social affair

b : trip, journey: such as (1) : a trip made by an official at public expense (2) : a promotional trip made at another's expense

junket in Context

The senator is under fire for going on a weeklong lavish junket.

"When I was young, … our family often made junkets after church on Sunday, to Cook's, a massive arrangement of barns and sheds near New London. Purveyors of everything from household items to car parts, it … had such buyer appeal that it seemed to be swarming with shoppers every time we stopped in." — The Litchfield (Minnesota) Independent Review, 9 Feb. 2017

Did You Know?

The road junket has traveled has been a long one, with frequent stops for food along the way. Since at least the 15th century, the word has named various comestibles, ranging from curds and cream to sweet confections. By the 16th century, junket had also come to mean "banquet." Apparently, traveling must have been involved to reach some junkets because eventually the term was also applied to pleasure outings or trips (whether or not food was the focus). Today, the word usually refers either to a trip made by a government official and paid for by the public, or to a free trip by a member of the press to a place where something, such as a new movie, is being promoted.