truffle

noun

truf·​fle ˈtrə-fəl  ˈtrü- 

1

a

: the dark or light edible subterranean fruiting body of several European ascomycetous fungi (especially genus Tuber)

also : any of various similar fruiting bodies of related fungi

b

: a fungus that produces truffles

2

: a candy made of chocolate, butter, sugar, and sometimes liqueur shaped into balls and often coated with cocoa

Examples of truffle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

It’s served with a rich truffle dashi infused with truffle and a bright yuzu emulsion, alongside farm-fresh vegetables and Ho Farms tomatoes. —Kaila Yu, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025

There are starters like stracciatella soup with truffles in the winter, or tuna crudo with citrus caviar in the summer. —Lily Radziemski, New York Times, 29 May 2025

Nicolas Cage plays a grizzled, mournful hermit named Rob who lives in the woods of the Pacific Northwest and spends his days hunting truffles with his pig, Apple, and then trading them to big-city buyer Amir (Alex Wolff). —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 28 May 2025

Carnivores, meanwhile, can carve into filets, New York strips and ribeyes with optional Bearnaise sauce, black truffle butter and bleu cheese crust, along with Berkshire pork in a sherry reduction and double-bone lamb chops in roasted garlic-thyme jus. —Rod Stafford Hagwood, Sun Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

modification of Middle French truffe, from Old Occitan trufa, from Vulgar Latin *tufera; akin to Latin tuber swelling, truffle — more at tuber

First Known Use

1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for truffle

• duffel
• duffle
• muffle
• ruffle
• scuffle
• shuffle
• reshuffle

Kids Definition

truffle

noun

truf·​fle ˈtrəf-əl  ˈtrüf- 

: the dark or light wrinkled fruiting body of a European fungus that grows in the ground

also : a fungus that produces truffles