Sherbet
/ˈʃɜːr.bət/noun
A sweet, flavored frozen dessert or a sweet, chilled drink.
Did you know?The word ultimately came from Arabic sharba, meaning “a drink,” and entered English through Persian and Turkish long before it meant the frozen dessert we know today.
Etymological Timeline
Arabic
Arabic
شَرْبَة (sharba)
“a drink, draught”
Persian
Persian
sharbat
“a sweet drink or syrupy beverage”
Turkish
Turkish
şerbet
“a sweet fruit drink”
16th–17th Century
English
sherbet
“a sweetened drink, often flavored with fruit or spices”
18th–19th Century
English
sherbet
“a flavored iced dessert or frozen confection”