Kolacky

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of pastry typically filled with sweet fruit preserves or cheese, common in Eastern European cuisines
2. A small, often circular baked good that contains various fillings such as jams or sweet cheeses, popular during festive occasions
3. A traditional dessert or snack made from dough that is rolled and filled, frequently enjoyed at celebrations in Slavic cultures

Etymology: Bakers in the Czech lands made the pastry long before it reached American tables. The word traces back to Czech "koláč," the plural of which is "koláče," and the Slovak form is identical in the plural. "Kolacky" is an alternative spelling of "kolache," the form most often seen in English, and it reflects the Slavic plural shape that Americans adopted when they borrowed the name along with the pastry. The word is a doublet of "kalach" and "kolach," so all three English forms descend from the same Slavic source but reached English by different routes. "Kalach" is the name of a type of white bread loaf, and "kolach" is an alternative spelling of the same pastry family, showing how one Slavic root split into separate meanings in English.

Synonyms: pastry, dough, treat, delicacy, snack