Vocabulary Words
Lesson 13Food and Beverages
Acrid
• Adjective • Harsh; bitter
• We were alarmed by the acrid smell coming from the kitchen.
Ambrosia
• Noun• Food of the gods, thought to bring
immortality; a food with an especially delicious flavor or fragrance
• Greek gods were thought to dine only on ambrosia and nectar.
Bland
• Adjective• Uninteresting or lacking in spice or flavor
• English cooking is very bland compared to Italian cooking.
Bouillon
• Noun• A clear, thin broth, usually of chicken or beef
• When I have an upset stomach, I drink a cup of bouillon and eat a few crackers.
Buffet
• Noun• A meal where guests serve themselves from
various dishes
• A sumptuous buffet was served at the New Year’s Eve party.
Concoct
• Verb• To cook up or make up combining ingredients
at hand
• I will concoct a casserole from whatever I have in the refrigerator.
Confection
• Noun• Something sweet, such as candy
• The bakery on the corner sells a delicious confection.
Cuisine
• Noun• The manner or style of cooking
• The French are famous for their cuisine.
Epicure
• Noun• A person with excellent taste in food and wine
• Jack was no epicure; he was strictly a meat and potatoes man.
Froth
• Noun• Foam
• The recipe called for egg whites beaten into a froth.
Knead
• Verb • To fold, press, and stretch dough
• The bread will not rise properly unless you knead it for at least ten minutes.
Meringue
• Noun• A pastry topping made of beaten and baked
egg whites
• The lemon pie was topped with a thick layer of meringue.
Quaff• Verb• To drink heartily
• After his game of tennis in the hot sun, Andre was ready to quaff a cold lemonade.
Refectory
• Noun• A dining hall
• The children filed into the refectory at noon.
Savor
• Verb• To taste or enjoy the flavor of
• When I am in Vienna, I like to savor a strong cup of coffee at an outdoor cafe.
Sherbert
• Noun• A sweet water ice, usually fruit flavored
• On a hot day I enjoy a small dish of sherbert after dinner.
Stein
• Noun• An earthenware mug
• The pub keeps a special stein for each of its regular customers.
Surfeit
• Noun• A glut or overabundance
• Last Thanksgiving there was a surfeit of inexpensive turkeys at the grocery.
Tantalize
• Verb• To tease or tempt
• The clerk tried to tantalize us by bringing in a fresh try of cinnamon buns
Victuals• Noun• Food; meals
• The diner was renowned for inexpensive but tasty victuals.