bonbon

See also: Bonbon, bon-bon, and bonbón

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French bonbon, reduplication of bon (“good”), from Latin bonus.

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU):

  (file)

Noun

bonbon (plural bonbons)

1. A sweet, especially a small chocolate-covered candy.
2. (cooking) A small, spherical savory snack or canapé.

   The terrine was served with black pudding bonbons.

3. (Australia, South Africa) A Christmas cracker.

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Czech

Various of bonbon

Alternative forms

• bonbón

Noun

bonbon m inan

1. candy

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Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from French bonbon.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɔnˈbɔn/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

bonbon m (plural bonbons, diminutive bonbonnetje n)

1. A small chocolate-covered candy.

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French

Bonbons en forme d’oursons gélifiés sucrés

Etymology

Reduplication of bon.

The standard rule in French is to write m in front of /m/, /p/ or /b/ – the rule does not apply to the words derived from bon: embonpoint, bonbonne and bonbonnière.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɔ̃.bɔ̃/

• audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔ̃

Noun

bonbon m (plural bonbons)

1. sweet, candy
   • 1964, Jacques Brel (lyrics and music), “Les bonbons”, in Les bonbons:

     Je vous ai apporté des bonbons / Parce que les fleurs c’est périssable / Puis les bonbons c’est tellement bon / Bien que les fleurs soient plus présentables / Surtout quand elles sont en boutons / Mais je vous ai apporté des bonbons

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 2017 October 19, “Hallohallo”, in Le Coupe-Circuit [The Circuit Breaker], Konami:

     Hallo, hallo, vide du cerveau,
     Plus d’entrailles, pas de ventre rond.
     Friand de bonbons et chamallows,
     Attention à toi et à ton sac de bonbons.

     Hallo, hallo, brain is hollow,
     More of guts, none of a round belly.
     Tasty of sweets and marshmallows,
     Watch yourself and your sack of candy.

Derived terms

• bonbonnière

Descendants

• → Romanian: bomboană
• → Sotho: dipompong

Adverb

bonbon

1. (slang) expensive

Further reading

• “bonbon”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.