Parkin

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A dense, sticky cake from northern England made with oatmeal, treacle or molasses, and ground ginger
2. A moist, dark British spiced cake traditionally baked with oats and syrup, often eaten around Bonfire Night
3. A traditional sweet cake of oatmeal, golden syrup and ginger that is typically kept for several days to soften

Etymology: Parkin is a northern English cake, traditionally made with oatmeal, ginger and treacle, and its name is a diminutive of Peter. The usual account is that "Parkin" is a pet form of the personal name Peter, the same kind of affectionate shortening that gave English "Dick" from Richard or "Hob" from Robert, and that it became attached to the cake by way of a personal name rather than by any description of its ingredients. The protein sense is a different story entirely. Here "parkin" is a clipping of "Parkinson", the surname of the James Parkinson who described the condition now called Parkinson's disease. The shortened form is used in biochemistry for a protein, named for its connection to the disease, that is studied in relation to Parkinson's research.

Synonyms: gingerbread, oatcake