Crouton
/ˈkruː.tɒn/noun
A small piece of toasted or fried bread, usually served in soup or salad.
Did you know?Crouton comes from French croûton, the diminutive of croûte, whose Latin ancestor crusta meant a hard outer covering—the same root behind crustacean.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*krus-
“To crush, break into pieces, or form something hard and brittle”
Classical Latin
Latin
crusta
“A hard outer covering, shell, rind, or crust”
Old French
Old French
croste
“Crust or hard outer layer”
16th Century
French
croûte
“Crust, especially the hard surface of bread”
17th Century
French
croûton
“A little crust; a small piece of toasted or fried bread”
19th Century
English
crouton
“A small piece of toasted or fried bread”
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