marshmallow

See also: Marshmallow

English

a marshmallow flower
Althaea officinalis

Marshmallows (confection).

Alternative forms

• marsh mallow, marsh-mallow

Etymology

From Old English mersċmealwe, corresponding to marsh +‎ mallow.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /mɑːʃˈmæləʊ/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈmɑɹʃˌmɛl.oʊ/, /ˈmɑɹʃˌmæl.oʊ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æləʊ

Noun

marshmallow (countable and uncountable, plural marshmallows)

1. Marsh mallow, a species of mallow, Althaea officinalis, that grows in marshy terrain. [from 9th c.]
   • 1653, Nicholas Culpeper, The English Physician Enlarged, Folio Society, published 2007, page 180:

     Our common Marsh Mallows have diverse soft, hoary white stalks rising to be three or four foot high, spreading forth many branches.

2. (countable, uncountable) A type of confectionery, originally (since Ancient Egyptian times) made from this plant, but now generally made of sugar or corn syrup, gelatin that has been presoftened in water, gum arabic, flavorings, and sometimes beaten egg whites, all whipped to a spongy consistency. [from 19th c.]
   • 1906, Elbert Hubbard, Love, Life and Work:

     The Disagreeable Girl is a female of the genus homo persuasion, built around a digestive apparatus that possesses marked marshmallow proclivities.

   • December 1915, P. G. Wodehouse, “My Battle with Drink”, in Vanity Fair:

     It was an apple marshmallow sundae, I recollect. I dug my spoon into it with an assumption of gaiety which I was far from feeling.

3. (figuratively) Someone who is soft and benign.

   He acts like a total badass, but he's really just a marshmallow once you get to know him.

   • 1995, Chrono Trigger:

     You're a marshmallow, Glenn.

Derived terms

• marshmallow creme
• marshmallow fluff

 

Descendants

Descendants of marshmallow in other languages

• Dutch: marshmallow
• French: marshmallow
• German: Marshmallow
• Japanese: マシュマロ (mashumaro)
• Korean: 마시멜로 (masimello)
• Portuguese: marshmallow
• Russian: маршмэ́ллоу (maršmɛ́llou)

Translations

plant — see marsh mallow

confectionery

• Afrikaans: malvalekker, marshmallow
• Arabic: خِطْمِيّ m (ḵiṭmiyy)
• Armenian: մարշմելոու (maršmelou)
• Catalan: pasta de malví f
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 棉花糖 (min⁴ faa¹ tong^4-2)

  Mandarin: 軟糖／软糖 (zh) (ruǎntáng), 果醬軟糖／果酱软糖 (guǒjiàng ruǎntáng), 棉花糖 (zh) (miánhuā táng)

• Danish: skumfidus n, marshmallow c
• Dutch: marshmallow (nl) m
• Esperanto: marŝmalo
• Faroese: skúmgæti n
• Finnish: vaahtokarkki (fi)
• French: guimauve (fr) f, marshmallow (fr) m, chamallow (fr) m
• German: Mäusespeck (de) m, Marshmallow (de) n
• Hebrew: מרשמלו (he)
• Hungarian: mályvacukor (hu), pillecukor (hu)
• Icelandic: sykurpúði m
• Italian: marshmallow (it), toffoletta f
• Japanese: マシュマロ (mashumaro)
• Korean: 마시멜로 (masimello)
• Latin: pasta hibisci
• Marathi: मार्शमेलो m (mārśamelo)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: marshmallow m

• Persian: مارشمالو (mâršmâlo), پفنبات (fa) (pof-nabât)
• Polish: pianka (pl) f
• Portuguese: marshmallow (pt) m, maxemelo m, merengue (pt) m
• Romanian: bezea (ro) f, nalbă (ro) f
• Russian: маршмэ́ллоу (ru) n (maršmɛ́llou)
• Saterland Frisian: Malve
• Spanish: malvavisco (es) m, (Venezuela) carlotina f, (Costa Rica) marsmelo m, (Chile) sustancia (es) f, (Mexico) bombón (es) m, espumilla f, nubes (es) f pl
• Swedish: marshmallow
• Thai: มาร์ชแมลโลว์ (máach-mɛn-lôo)
• Yiddish: שניי־קישעלע n (shney-kishele), מאַרשמאַלאָו (marshmalou), מאַרשמעלאָו (marshmelou)

Verb

marshmallow (third-person singular simple present marshmallows, present participle marshmallowing, simple past and past participle marshmallowed)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To soften (literally or figuratively).
   • 2005, Ken Gunther, Lilith: A Biography:

     For i could still feel her small face in my hands, her lips marshmallowing under the brushing knuckle of my index, the hard press of her capable contoured body.

   • 2005, Joylynn Jossel, If I Ruled the World:

     He didn't know if touching me meant that I would marshmallow up or if he would have to brace himself for a blow.

   • 2011, JB Sanders, Glen & Tyler's Honeymoon Adventure:

     Various dishes heaped with food were tucked haphazardly all over: mounds of whipped potatoes, medleys of buttered vegetables, marshmallowed sweet potatoes, oyster stuffing, cranberry sauce (fresh from the can) and even more dishes

References

• “marshmallow”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Portuguese

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English marshmallow.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˌmaʁ.ʃiˈmɛ.lo(w)/ [ˌmah.ʃiˈmɛ.lo(ʊ̯)]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˌmaʁ.ʃiˈmɛ.lo(w)/ [ˌmah.ʃiˈmɛ.lo(ʊ̯)]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /ˌmaɾ.ʃiˈmɛ.lo(w)/ [ˌmaɾ.ʃiˈmɛ.lo(ʊ̯)]
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /ˌmaʁ.ʃiˈmɛ.lo(w)/ [ˌmaχ.ʃiˈmɛ.lo(ʊ̯)]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˌmaɻ.ʃiˈmɛ.lo(w)/ [ˌmaɻ.ʃiˈmɛ.lo(ʊ̯)]

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /maɾ.ʃɨˈmɛ.lo(w)/, /maɾ.ʃɨˈmɛ.lɐw/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /maɾ.ʃɨˈmɛ.lo(w)/, /maɾ.ʃɨˈmɛ.lɐw/
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /maɾ.ʃɨˈmɛ.low/, /maɾ.ʃɨˈmɛ.lɐw/
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /maɾ.ʃɨˈmɛ.lo/, /maɾ.ʃɨˈmɛ.lɐw/

Noun

marshmallow m (plural marshmallows)

1. marshmallow (pre-softened confectionery made with sugar, corn syrup, egg whites and gelatin)

Spanish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English marshmallow.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /maɾʃˈmalo/ [maɾʃˈma.lo]
• Rhymes: -alo

Noun

marshmallow m (plural marshmallows)

1. marshmallow

Usage notes

• According to Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) prescriptions, unadapted foreign words should be written in italics in a text printed in roman type, and vice versa, and in quotation marks in a manuscript text or when italics are not available. In practice, this RAE prescription is not always followed.

Swedish

Etymology

Borrowed from English marshmallow.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /maɕˈmɛlːow/

Noun

marshmallow c

1. marshmallow

Declension

Declension of marshmallow
	Singular		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	marshmallow	marshmallowen	marshmallows	marshmallowsen
Genitive	marshmallows	marshmallowens	marshmallows	marshmallowsens

References

• marshmallow in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• marshmallow in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)