Definition

1. Noun:

   • A candy consisting of a nut, seed, or piece of fruit coated in sugar: A comfit is a type of old-fashioned confectionery where a central item is encased in a hard sugar shell through repeated coating.
   • A sweetmeat: Historically, the term refers broadly to various types of candied delicacies.

2. Verb:

   • To make into a confection or preserve with sugar: The act of preparing something, especially fruit or nuts, by coating or preserving it in sugar.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • The old recipe book described how to make almond comfits.
  • A dish of comfits, including candied violets and anise seeds, was served after dinner.

• Verb:

  • They would comfit rose petals to use as decorations for cakes. (This verbal use is now rare and largely historical.)

Advanced Usage

• Historical Context: The term "comfit" is largely historical or used in very specific culinary contexts today, such as in historical reenactments, traditional recipes, or literature.
  • In medieval banquets, comfits were often served as digestifs.

Variants and Related Words

• Confection (n): A general term for a sweet food item, especially one made with sugar. A comfit is a specific type of confection.
• Confectionery (n): The art of making confections or a shop where they are sold.
• Candied (adj): Preserved or coated with sugar, e.g., .
• Dragée (n): A term often used interchangeably with comfit, especially for a sugar-coated almond.

Synonyms

• Sweetmeat: An old-fashioned term for a sweet delicacy, such as a piece of candy or candied fruit.
• Candy: A general modern term for a sweet confection.
• Conserve: Refers to fruit preserved with sugar, though typically softer than a hard comfit.

Related Phrases

• Sugar-coated: Having a layer of sugar on the outside, which describes the primary characteristic of a comfit.
  • The sugar-coated almonds were reminiscent of traditional comfits.

Noun

1. candy containing a fruit or nut

Verb

1. make into a confection
   • This medicine is home-confected