Mayonnaise Meaning
/ˈmeɪ.ə.neɪz/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA dressing made from vegetable oil, raw egg yolks, vinegar or lemon juice, and seasoning, used on salads, with french fries, in sandwiches etc.
nounAny cold dish with that dressing as an ingredient.
Sentence Examples
The oil in mayonnaise sometimes separates from the other ingredients.
You can do anything with mayonnaise, except sit on it.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
She whisked oil and eggs together to make thick ____ for the salad.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
He made a delicious potato salad using a homemade ____ dressing and fresh garden herbs.
Word Origin & History
Unadapted borrowing from French mayonnaise, possibly named after the city of Maó (Mahón in Spanish), Minorca, whence the recipe was brought back to France. Compare Spanish mahonesa. Alternative suggested origins include the city of Bayonne (bayonnaise); the Duke of Mayenne and the words manier (“to handle”) in French or moyeu (“eye yolk”) in Old French.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"There are 250 foods, including mayonnaise, cheese and cocoa, that don't list ingredients at all."
— 1985 May, Boys' Life, volume 75, number 5, page 20:
"The FDA's original intent for foods included under "standards of identity" ensured that terms like "mayonnaise" or "ice cream” would guarantee the same basic ingredients required in the government-established recipe no matter who manufactured it."
— 1975, Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker, Joy of Cooking, page 7:
"I grew up thinking that the blue and white Miracle Whip salad dressing jar in the fridge held the same substance the rest of the world knew as mayonnaise. / Now I know that mayonnaise is something entirely different."
— 1993, Eve Johnson, Five Star Food:
"The oils in store-bought mayonnaise range from olive oil to sunflower oil to safflower oil and some less desirable oils!"
— 2008, Jan McCracken, The Everything Lactose Free Cookbook:
"Most store-bought mayonnaise contains ingredients (vinegar, lemonjuice, and salt) that actually slow bacterial growth"
— 2012, Marie A. Boyle, Sara Long Roth, Personal Nutrition:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
She whisked oil and eggs together to make thick ____ for the salad.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
He made a delicious potato salad using a homemade ____ dressing and fresh garden herbs.