schmurgeln

German

Etymology

From Low German smorkeln, smurkeln (“to seethe, sizzle, smoulder”), iterative of smorken (“to smoulder”), derived from smoren (“to burn slowly, to braise”), whence German schmoren, probably through a blend with smoken (“to smoke”). Possibly introduced into literary German, and at least popularised, by Wilhelm Busch in his famous Max und Moritz (1865).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʃmʊʁɡəln/

• Audio:

  (file)

Verb

1. (regional, northern and central Germany, of food) to be fried or baked slowly, making a sizzling sound