fondue

noun

fon·​due fän-ˈdü How to pronounce fondue (audio)
-ˈdyü,
ˈfän-ˌd(y)ü
variants or less commonly fondu
1
: a dish similar to a soufflé usually made with cheese and bread crumbs
2
a(1)
: a preparation of melted cheese (such as Swiss cheese and Gruyère) usually flavored with white wine and kirsch
(2)
: a dish that consists of small pieces of food (such as meat or fruit) cooked in or dipped into a hot liquid
beef fondue
chocolate fondue
b
: a chafing dish in which fondue is made

Examples of fondue in a Sentence

dip fruit in melted chocolate to have a chocolate fondue
Recent Examples on the Web In the evenings, the crab fondue, mushroom meunière, seafood Clemenceau, crab rice dressing and shrimp yakamein. The Courier-Journal, 12 Feb. 2024 And our meal was simple – a big salad and cheese fondue served with chunks of French bread for dipping. Suzanne Havala Hobbs, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 Add some fun to your holiday party with this fun and casual beer-cheese fondue recipe. Paige Grandjean, Southern Living, 26 Dec. 2023 The newlyweds hosted a cocktail hour with hors d’oeuvres including fresh fruit, warm crab and cheddar fondue and bourbon street shrimp before a dinner of harvest salad with chicken azel, salmon with an Asian glaze and vegetarian paella. Jordan Greene, Peoplemag, 16 Oct. 2023 The hilltop village of St. Moritz, in Switzerland’s Engadin Valley, is one of Europe’s most exclusive ski resorts—here, timeless elegance meets tasteful discretion, all concealed behind the doors of its iconic Art Nouveau hotels and traditional fondue spots. Monica Mendal, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2024 Because the sauce in this recipe is creamy, not grainy; it’s flavored with shallots, gruyère, and white wine, like fondue; and it’s topped with crunchy sourdough bread crumbs. 2 of 13Annabelle Breakey Drunken Mushroom Gratins Mushrooms and Pinot make a fabulous kickoff pair. Maya Wong, Sunset Magazine, 1 Feb. 2024 Ratatouille, veal blanquette, guinea fowl wrapped in cabbage, boeuf bourguignon and fondue weren’t fancy company cooking. Jamie Schler, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 The annual World Economic Forum brings the planet’s power brokers together for morning-to-past-midnight meetings over coffee, cocktails and fondue. Chip Cutter and Emily Glazer, WSJ, 15 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fondue.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, noun derivative from feminine of fondu, past participle of fondre "to melt," going back to Old French — more at found entry 5

First Known Use

1824, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fondue was in 1824

Dictionary Entries Near fondue

Cite this Entry

“Fondue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fondue. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

fondue

noun
fon·​due fän-ˈd(y)ü How to pronounce fondue (audio)
: a preparation of melted cheese and flavorings

More from Merriam-Webster on fondue

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