Pastille

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈpæst(ɪ)l/

Definitions

1. A small, flavored disc designed to dissolve orally for medicinal use while also serving as a sweet treat
2. A small tablet intended to dissolve slowly in the mouth, often used to soothe the throat or freshen breath
3. A small, sweetened piece that melts in the mouth, commonly used for respiratory comfort or as a candy

Etymology: Before it meant a sweet that melts on the tongue, "pastille" was a small bread roll. The Latin "pastillus" and "pastillum" covered both bread rolls and lozenges, and the word's ancestry may trace back to "pāstus," the past participle of "pāscō," meaning "to feed" or "to pasture," though that link is only possible, not certain. The word reached English in the Late Middle Ages as "pastil," which described crushed leek leaves and other vegetable pulp, not sweets at all. It arrived through Old French "pastel," a sibling of the word "pastel" for the crayon and the pale colour. English later borrowed the word again, this time from French "pastille," which described a candy or medicinal lozenge, and before that from Spanish "pastilla." The French and Spanish senses included small fragrant pellets burnt to perfume the air, a meaning that connects the sweet back to its earlier life as a small, shaped object.

Synonyms: tablet, lozenge, candy, gummy, sweet