Carrigeen

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A red seaweed, also called Irish moss, that grows on Atlantic coasts and is used to thicken foods and puddings
2. An edible marine alga, Chondrus crispus, gathered from rocky shores and valued as a natural gelling agent
3. The seaweed known as Irish moss, harvested along the northern Atlantic coastline for its jelly-forming properties

Etymology: Carrigeen is an alternative spelling of carrageen, the seaweed also called Irish moss, and its name is a small piece of Irish geography. It comes from the Irish "carraigín", meaning Irish moss, which is itself a diminutive built on "carraig", meaning rock. The seaweed grows on rocky shorelines, so the name points directly at the stone it clings to. The diminutive ending "-ín" gives the word its sense of a little rock, a nod to the small, rock-hugging fronds rather than any large object. The English spelling "carrageen" is the more common form, while "carrigeen" follows the Irish spelling more closely, with the same root and ending.

Synonyms: carragheen, Irish moss