Definition

Noun: 1. A small, lidded casserole or baking dish, typically made of earthenware or cast iron, used for cooking and serving individual portions of food. This usage originates from French, where "cocotte" literally means a small cooking pot. 2. (Dated/Slang) A prostitute. This is a historical or euphemistic term, also borrowed from French, where it can carry connotations of a kept woman or courtesan.

Usage and Examples

• Noun (Cooking Vessel):
  • The chef prepared the crème brûlée in individual cocottes.
  • She served the baked eggs directly from the porcelain cocotte to the table.
• Noun (Prostitute):
  • In 19th-century French literature, the character was a famous cocotte. (This usage is now archaic and primarily found in historical contexts.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "en cocotte" is a cooking technique meaning to cook something in a sealed pot (like a Dutch oven or the small dish itself), often with a small amount of liquid, to retain moisture and flavor.
  • The chicken was cooked en cocotte with herbs and white wine.

Variants and Related Words

• Cocotte minute: (French borrowing) A pressure cooker. This is a compound term where "cocotte" refers to the pot and "minute" implies quick cooking.
• Ramekin: A close synonym for the cooking vessel sense, though a ramekin is usually without a lid and may refer specifically to the dish used for dishes like soufflés or crème brûlée.

Synonyms

• For the cooking vessel: Ramekin, casserole dish, baking dish.
• For the prostitute (archaic): Courtesan, demimondaine, kept woman. (Note: These are historical synonyms; modern terms differ.)

Notes on Meaning

The two meanings of "cocotte" are distinct and context-dependent. In modern English, especially in culinary contexts, the first definition (the cooking dish) is far more common and neutral. The second definition is largely obsolete, carries a pejorative historical connotation, and is rarely used in contemporary speech outside of discussing historical or literary figures.

Noun

1. a small casserole in which individual portions can be cooked and served
2. a woman who engages in sexual intercourse for money