What does "madeleine" mean?
A French type of small gateau or sponge cake, often shaped like an elongated scallop shell.
Madeleine
/ˈmad(ə)lɪn/ name, noun
name, noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A French type of small gateau or sponge cake, often shaped like an elongated scallop shell.
- Grammar: madeleine is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: buttered sponge cake, confection, feminine name, french cake.
- Useful contrasts: bread, forgetting, savory cake.
- Usage evidence: Grease the madeleine molds and pour in the batter (but not all the way to the top; the madeleines will rise!)
How to use "madeleine"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "madeleine" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "madeleine" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "madeleine" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "madeleine" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "madeleine" is acting as name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "buttered sponge cake" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "madeleine", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A French type of small gateau or sponge cake, often shaped like an elongated scallop shell.
"And suddenly the memory revealed itself. The taste was that of the little piece of madeleine which on Sunday mornings at Combray […] my aunt Léonie used to give me, dipping it first in her own cup of tea or tisane."
- 2 Something which brings back a memory; a source of nostalgia or evocative memories. figuratively
"The Robe was thus fixed in my mind as a symbol, and in my memory as a madeleine, of Jewish evil."
Proper Noun
- 1 A female given name from French, variant of Madeline.
""We've been making up the most glamorous names for you, Marguerite and Marlene and Madeleine―" "And Melanie and Marianne and Marietta," put in Jane."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Grease the madeleine molds and pour in the batter (but not all the way to the top; the madeleines will rise!)"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "madeleine"?
Common synonyms include: buttered sponge cake, confection, feminine name, french cake, given name, involuntary memory.
How do you use "madeleine" in a sentence?
Grease the madeleine molds and pour in the batter (but not all the way to the top; the madeleines will rise!)
How do you pronounce "madeleine"?
Pronounced /ˈmad(ə)lɪn/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Unadapted borrowing from French madeleine, from earlier gâteau à la Madeleine, after the given name Madeleine (“Magdalene”), of uncertain reference: attributed in some sources to a 19th-century pastry cook Madeleine Paulmier, whose existence is now considered dubious. In sense 2, used with reference to the cake's function in the extract below, taken from Marcel Proust's In Search of Lost Time.
Etymology 2
From French Madeleine. Doublet of Magdalene.