Compots

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Small dishes or servings of stewed or cooked fruits often sweetened; composed mixtures or collections of various elements combined together; decorative floral arrangements or clusters resembling natural compositions
2. Prepared servings of softened fruits usually in syrup; amalgamations of assorted parts forming a whole; artistic groupings of flowers or items arranged for visual appeal
3. Culinary preparations of tender fruit chunks simmered in liquid; blended assortments of different components unified; stylized bouquets or ensembles designed for aesthetic display

Etymology: "Compots" is the plural of "compot," a noun for prepared servings of softened fruit, usually stewed or preserved in syrup. The singular names a dish of fruit cooked down in sweetened liquid, and the plural is the form most readers will meet when a menu or recipe lists several of them at once. The sense of an assorted whole, and the sense of a groups of arranged flowers or objects chosen for their visual appeal, grew out of the same idea of things mixed together and presented as one. Whether a given arrangement is a dish, a bouquet, or a jumble of parts, the word points to a collection that has been put together with some care.

Synonyms: fruit compotes