Eclairs

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of pastry made from choux dough filled with cream and often topped with chocolate
2. These are sweet, elongated pastries filled with custard or cream and glazed with icing
3. Delicate pastries filled with rich cream or custard, typically covered in a glaze or icing

Etymology: "Eclairs" is the plural of "eclair," so the history belongs to the singular. The name is French and literally means "flash" or "lightning," a reference to the pastry's glossy chocolate icing, which was thought to catch the light the way a streak of lightning does. The pastry is a choux bun, and its fast-disappearing quality is the source of the name: a good one is eaten in a flash.