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sherbet

 - 4 dictionary results

sher⋅bet

[shur-bit]
–noun
1. a frozen fruit-flavored mixture, similar to an ice, but with milk, egg white, or gelatin added.
2. British. a drink made of sweetened fruit juice diluted with water and ice.
3. a frozen fruit or vegetable purée, served either between courses to cleanse the palate or as a dessert.

Origin:
1595–1605; < Turk < Pers sharbat < Ar sharbah a drink
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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sher·bet   (shûr'bĭt)   
n.  
  1. also sher·bert (-bûrt') A frozen dessert made primarily of fruit juice, sugar, and water, and also containing milk, egg white, or gelatin.

  2. Chiefly British A beverage made of sweetened diluted fruit juice.

  3. also sherbert Australian An alcoholic beverage, especially beer.


[Ottoman Turkish, sweet fruit drink, from Persian sharbat, from Arabic šarba, drink, from šariba, to drink; see śrb in Semitic roots.]
Word History: Although the word sherbet has been in the English language for several centuries (it was first recorded in 1603), it has not always referred to what one normally thinks of as sherbet. Sherbet came into English from Ottoman Turkish sherbet or Persian sharbat, both going back to Arabic šarba, "drink." The Turkish and Persian words referred to a beverage of sweetened, diluted fruit juice that was popular in the Middle East and imitated in Europe. In Europe sherbet eventually came to refer to a carbonated drink. Because the original Middle Eastern drink contained fruit and was often cooled with snow, sherbet was applied to a frozen dessert (first recorded in 1891). It is distinguished slightly from sorbet, which can also mean "a fruit-flavored ice served between courses of a meal." Sorbet (first recorded in English in 1585) goes back through French (sorbet) and then Italian (sorbetto) to the same Turkish sherbet that gave us sherbet.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

sherbet 
1603, zerbet, "drink made from diluted fruit juice and sugar," from Turk. serbet, from Pers. sharbat, from Arabic sharba(t) "a drink," from shariba "he drank." Related to syrup.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia

sherbet

frozen dessert usually flavoured with fruit, made from water, sugar, flavourings, and milk or cream. Egg white or gelatin may be added to ensure a fine texture. Sherbets may also be flavoured with wine or liqueurs. By U.S. federal regulation, sherbets must contain a minimum of 1 percent and a maximum of 2 percent butterfat. Water ice, called in French sorbet and in Italian granita, is similar to sherbet but contains no dairy ingredients.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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