madeleine

noun

mad·​e·​leine ˈma-də-lən  ˌma-də-ˈlān 

1

: a small rich shell-shaped cake

2

: one that evokes a memory

Did you know?

The Madeleine Goes Back to France

The madeleine is said to have been named after a 19th-century French cook named Madeleine Paumier, but it was the French author Marcel Proust who immortalized the pastry in his 1913 book Swann's Way, the first volume of his seven-part novel Remembrance of Things Past. In that work, a taste of tea-soaked cake evokes a surge of memory and nostalgia. As more and more readers chewed on the profound mnemonic power attributed to a mere morsel of cake, the word madeleine itself became a designation for anything that evokes a memory.

Examples of madeleine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

If your own personal Proust's madeleine happens to involve beer, barstools, and everything else found at last call at your favorite watering hole, there's now a cologne for that. —Max Hauptman, USA TODAY, 5 Dec. 2024

Financier and Equestrian Like madeleines, financiers are small cakes that eat like a cookie. —Cece Pascual, Washington Post, 19 July 2024

Founder Christina Tosi’s most famous innovation was cereal-milk soft serve, which worked like Proust’s madeleine for downwardly mobile millennials. —Nate Jones, Vulture, 20 Aug. 2024

Plus, a few more ideas for the person who’s obsessed with all things French: A set of silicone madeleine molds for that Proust moment, luxe fleur de sel harvested from the actual French seaside, and a striped linen bag specifically for transporting and storing baguettes. —Mackenzie Chung Fegan, Bon Appétit, 24 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French, perhaps from Madeleine Paumier, 19th century French pastry cook

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!