Goujon

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɡuːd͡ʒɒn/

Definitions

1. A thin strip of fish that is usually coated in batter and fried until crispy and golden brown
2. A long piece of fish, often breaded, that is deep-fried to achieve a crunchy exterior and tender interior
3. A slender, often battered piece of fish that is deep-fried to produce a crispy texture and is commonly found in various culinary dishes

Etymology: The word "goujon" arrived in English from French, where it originally named a small freshwater fish, the gudgeon. That fish is the source of the English word "gudgeon" too, so the two are doublets, two forms of one word that entered English by different routes. Over time, the French word came to be used for the thin strips of fish that cooks cut to resemble that small fish, and this culinary sense is the one English speakers use today. French also used "goujon" for a quite different object: a dowel or pin, a small peg used to join pieces of wood or stone. The fish and the peg share a form in French, and English borrowed both senses, so the same word can point to a fried fillet on a plate or a wooden fastener in a carpenter's workshop.

Synonyms: fish fillet, fried fish