Fondue: meaning, definitions and examples

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fondue

[ ˈfɒndjuː ]

Noun

^{Context #1 | Noun}

cheese dish

A Swiss dish of melted cheese served in a communal pot over a portable stove, and eaten by dipping bread into the cheese using long-stemmed forks.

Synonyms

cheese fondue, melted cheese dish.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
fondue	Used generally to refer to a dish where small pieces of food are dipped into a pot of hot liquid, such as melted cheese, chocolate, or oil. This could be in a social or dining context. We had a fun evening with fondue and great conversation. Fondue can be made with cheese, chocolate, or even broth for cooking meat.
cheese fondue	Specifically used when referring to the type of fondue that involves dipping bread, vegetables, or other items into melted cheese. Commonly associated with Swiss cuisine and often served in colder months. For dinner, we are having a cheese fondue with various types of bread. Cheese fondue is a popular winter dish for family gatherings.
melted cheese dish	A more general term that could refer to any dish involving melted cheese. This isn't limited to fondue and can include other culinary creations like nachos, queso dip, or raclette. She cooked the perfect melted cheese dish for the party. Our appetizer was a melted cheese dish served with chips and breadsticks.

Word

Description / Examples

fondue

Used generally to refer to a dish where small pieces of food are dipped into a pot of hot liquid, such as melted cheese, chocolate, or oil. This could be in a social or dining context.

We had a fun evening with fondue and great conversation.
Fondue can be made with cheese, chocolate, or even broth for cooking meat.

cheese fondue

Specifically used when referring to the type of fondue that involves dipping bread, vegetables, or other items into melted cheese. Commonly associated with Swiss cuisine and often served in colder months.

For dinner, we are having a cheese fondue with various types of bread.
Cheese fondue is a popular winter dish for family gatherings.

melted cheese dish

A more general term that could refer to any dish involving melted cheese. This isn't limited to fondue and can include other culinary creations like nachos, queso dip, or raclette.

She cooked the perfect melted cheese dish for the party.
Our appetizer was a melted cheese dish served with chips and breadsticks.

Examples of usage

People enjoy gathering around the fondue pot at parties.
She made a delicious fondue with Gruyère and Emmental cheese.

^{Context #2 | Noun}

chocolate dish

A dessert dish of melted chocolate served in a communal pot over a portable stove, and eaten by dipping fruits, marshmallows, or other sweets into the chocolate.

Synonyms

chocolate fondue, melted chocolate dish.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
fondue	This term is most generic and can refer to any type of fondue, be it cheese, chocolate, or even oil. It's suitable when the specific type of fondue is not essential. We had fondue for dinner last night Fondue is a fun way to get everyone involved in the meal
chocolate fondue	Use this when specifically referring to a dessert dish where pieces of fruits, marshmallows, or other items are dipped into melted chocolate. Perfect for dessert menus and special occasions. For dessert, we served chocolate fondue with strawberries and marshmallows She loves to make chocolate fondue for family gatherings
melted chocolate dish	This term is less specific and can describe any dish that prominently features melted chocolate. It might be used in more formal contexts or in written recipes. The menu features a new melted chocolate dish His favorite melted chocolate dish is simple yet delicious

Word

Description / Examples

fondue

This term is most generic and can refer to any type of fondue, be it cheese, chocolate, or even oil. It's suitable when the specific type of fondue is not essential.

We had fondue for dinner last night
Fondue is a fun way to get everyone involved in the meal

chocolate fondue

Use this when specifically referring to a dessert dish where pieces of fruits, marshmallows, or other items are dipped into melted chocolate. Perfect for dessert menus and special occasions.

For dessert, we served chocolate fondue with strawberries and marshmallows
She loves to make chocolate fondue for family gatherings

melted chocolate dish

This term is less specific and can describe any dish that prominently features melted chocolate. It might be used in more formal contexts or in written recipes.

The menu features a new melted chocolate dish
His favorite melted chocolate dish is simple yet delicious

Examples of usage

The highlight of the evening was the chocolate fondue.
They had a variety of treats to dip in the chocolate fondue.

Translations

Translations of the word "fondue" in other languages:

🇵🇹 fondue

🇮🇳 फॉन्ड्यू

🇩🇪 Fondue

🇮🇩 fondue

🇺🇦 фондю

🇵🇱 fondue

🇯🇵 フォンデュ

🇫🇷 fondue

🇪🇸 fondue

🇹🇷 fondü

🇰🇷 퐁듀

🇸🇦 فوندو

🇨🇿 fondue

🇸🇰 fondue

🇨🇳 火锅

🇸🇮 fondue

🇮🇸 fondú

🇰🇿 фондю

🇬🇪 ფონდიუ

🇦🇿 fondü

🇲🇽 fondue

Etymology

The word 'fondue' comes from the French word 'fondre', which means 'to melt'. Fondue originated in Switzerland as a way to use up hardened cheese and stale bread during the winter months. It became popular in the United States in the 1960s as a trendy party dish.

See also: fond, fondle, fondling, fondly, fondness.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranking #35,903, this word is encountered relatively rarely in everyday English. It might appear in literary works or specialized texts but isn't essential for general communication.

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35900 ogle
35901 minuted
35902 plutocratic
35903 fondue
35904 gapped
35905 puffer
35906 furl
...