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comfit
noun
Word History
Middle English confyt, counfyt, comfyte "food item preserved in sugar or syrup, the syrup itself," borrowed from Anglo-French confit (in the phrase en confit "preserved [of fruit]"), noun derivative from past participle of confire "to create, make, prepare, preserve" (continental Old French, "to prepare [a drink], preserve [fruit] in a liquid or sugar"), going back to Latin conficere "to carry out, perform, make, bring about, collect, bring to completion" — more at confect
Note: Gallo-Romance has largely restricted the semantic range of Latin conficere to "prepare, preserve," presumably a narrowing of the classical sense "bring to completion." The vowel i proper to the past participle (< Latin confectus) has been extended through the entire paradigm. Compare confit.
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near comfit
Cite this Entry
“Comfit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/comfit. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.
More from Merriam-Webster on comfit
Britannica English: Translation of comfit for Arabic Speakers
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