Macedoines

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of culinary preparation consisting of various diced fruits or vegetables mixed together as a salad or garnish ; a mixture of small, uniformly cut pieces of ingredients used in cooking ; a dish or salad featuring an assortment of chopped fruits or vegetables combined for flavor and presentation
2. A medley of chopped fruits or vegetables served as a salad or side dish ; a uniform blend of diced produce arranged for culinary use ; a composite dish made from small cubed items, often served cold or as a garnish
3. A preparation in which fruits or vegetables are finely diced and combined into a salad or garnish ; a blend of evenly cut ingredients used in cooking or as an accompaniment ; a varied mix of small cubes of produce served together in culinary contexts

Etymology: "Macedoines" is the plural of "macedoine", a term that comes from French and carries the name of a country. The French word "Macédoine" simply means "Macedonia," and the culinary sense grew from the idea of a mixture of many different things, much as the ancient kingdom was a blend of peoples and places under one name. The word is a doublet of "Macedonia," meaning that the two forms descend from the same source but took different paths into English. The geographical name arrived directly as a proper noun, while the culinary term entered through French, where it was applied to a mixed dish of diced vegetables or fruit. Its English use as a noun for a medley of chopped produce, served as a salad or side dish, reflects that French sense of variety held together in one arrangement.

Synonyms: fruit salad, vegetable mix, medley, mixture, combo