Croquette
/kroʊˈkɛt/noun
A small, usually breadcrumb-coated and fried roll or patty made from chopped meat, fish, potatoes, or vegetables.
Did you know?Croquette comes from French croquette, a diminutive of croquer, meaning “to crunch” or “to bite,” and its name is literally tied to the sound of eating.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kreug-
“Likely an imitative or expressive root associated with crunching or biting sounds”
Late Latin
Latin
*crōcāre
“To crunch or make a crackling bite-like sound (reconstructed intermediary in the word’s history)”
Old French
Old French
croquer
“To crunch, bite, or snap”
17th Century
French
croquette
“A small crisp bite or little crunchy morsel”
18th Century
English
croquette
“A small fried food ball or patty coated in crumbs”