Aspic
/ˈæs.pɪk/noun
A savory jelly made with meat stock or vegetable stock, or a clear, ornamental jelly used to encase foods.
Did you know?The word ultimately traces back to Latin and Greek names for the asp, the venomous snake that became a symbol of lethal power in antiquity.
Etymological Timeline
Modern English
English
aspic
“a savory jelly used in cooking, especially for molded dishes”
16th Century
French
aspic
“a kind of asp or viper; later also a culinary jelly”
Latin
Latin
aspis
“a venomous serpent, especially an asp or viper”
Ancient Greek
Greek
aspís
“a serpent or asp; also a shield in other contexts”
Unknown earlier origin
Pre-Greek / Borrowed term
aspis
“an ancient word for a serpent, likely borrowed into Greek from a non-Indo-European source”
Explore more surprising origins