Grenadine

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɡɹɛnədiːn/

Definitions

1. A sweet red syrup made from pomegranates, commonly used to flavor and color cocktails and other beverages
2. A bright red syrup derived from the juice of pomegranates, typically utilized to enhance both the color and taste of drinks and desserts
3. A sweetened, red liquid primarily made from pomegranates, often incorporated into various cocktails and culinary recipes for added flavor and hue

Etymology: The syrup takes its name from a flower. In French, "œillet grenadin" was the name for a clove pink, a fragrant garden carnation whose petals were reddish, and the word "grenadin" was the adjective that described its colour and resemblance to the pomegranate. The French "grenadine" was the syrup named after that colour, and English borrowed it from there. Both halves of the chain trace back to "grenade", the Middle French word for pomegranate. That same fruit gave its name to the explosive device, because the early grenade was thought to resemble a pomegranate in shape, and the fruit's many seeds were fancied to be like the small charges packed inside. The syrup and the bomb therefore share a single ancestor, though they reached their meanings by different routes.

Synonyms: syrup, sweetener, cordial