gâteau

noun

gâ·​teau (ˌ)gä-ˈtō How to pronounce gâteau (audio)
variants or gateau
plural gâteaux or gateaux (ˌ)gä-ˈtō(z) How to pronounce gâteau (audio) also gateaus
1
: food baked or served in the form of a cake
eggplant gâteau
2
: a rich or fancy cake

Examples of gâteau in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Dessert is their Love at First Bite trio features Bailey's chocolate gateau, calamansi sorbet, and almond panna cotta in a berry velvet sauce. Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 11 Feb. 2024 The Strawberry Forest Pie, tart with jammy berries and rich with a thick chocolate pudding layer, is a draw for those who adore the flavors of traditional Black Forest gateau. Defne Karabatur, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 This Chocolate & Strawberry heart blends the richness of bittersweet chocolate mousse with the tang of passion fruit curd, the indulgent crunch of chocolate crumble, the sweetness of strawberry gateau, and the refreshing zest of yuzu cremeux. Aly Walansky, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2024 This is known as having your gateau and eating it. Dominic Green, WSJ, 27 Dec. 2020 Rasmalai gateau, a brilliant fusion of a traditional Indian dessert into the form of a tres leches cake, was one of my favorite bites of the past year. Dallas News, 19 Jan. 2022 Around 200 mini cakes, 200 slices of sheet cake, and 60 slices of chocolate gateau and Victoria Sponge are ready. Andrea Aliseda, Harper's BAZAAR, 31 Jan. 2023 Germany has a vast variety of cakes, but among the most popular is the Schwarzwälder kirschtorte or Black Forest gateau. Marcel Krueger, CNN, 22 Oct. 2021 Another must-order is the gateau basque ($35), a hybrid of cake, pie and tart that goes great with tea or a glass of muscat. Soleil Ho, SFChronicle.com, 10 Sep. 2020

Word History

Etymology

French, from Old French gastel, probably of Germanic origin; akin to Old English wist sustenance, food

First Known Use

1764, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of gâteau was in 1764

Dictionary Entries Near gâteau

Cite this Entry

“Gâteau.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/g%C3%A2teau. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on gâteau

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!