Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

gourmand


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Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 21, 2025 is:

gourmand • \GOOR-mahnd\  • noun

A gourmand is a person who loves and appreciates good food and drink. Gourmand can also refer to someone who enjoys eating and drinking to excess.

// He was a gourmand who retired to New Orleans to live close to the cuisine he loved best.

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Examples:

"... the deck sports a dining area with a barbecue and pizza oven for gourmands." — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 27 Oct. 2023

Did you know?

When gourmand first appeared in English texts in the 15th century, it was no compliment: gourmand was a synonym of glutton that was reserved for a greedy eater who consumed well past the point of satiation. The word’s negative connotation mostly remained until English speakers borrowed the similar-sounding (and much more positive) gourmet from French in the 17th century to describe a connoisseur of food and drink. Since then, while the original, unflattering sense of gourmand has remained, it has picked up an additional, softer sense referring to someone who appreciates, and has a hearty appetite for, the pleasures of the table. More recently, gourmand has expanded beyond cuisine and into the world of perfumery: fragrances that evoke edible pleasures are called "gourmands."



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