cream puff
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A light, hollow pastry filled with cream or custard: A small, round, sweet baked good made from choux pastry, which puffs up during baking to create a hollow center that is typically filled with whipped cream, pastry cream, or custard. It is often dusted with powdered sugar or topped with chocolate.
- (Informal, figurative) A person or thing that is delicate, weak, or ineffectual: Used to describe someone who is perceived as physically weak, lacking toughness, or something that is overly delicate or easily damaged.
Examples of Usage
- Noun (Literal): .*
- Noun (Figurative):
Advanced Usage
- "Cream puff" (in sports): In boxing or other contact sports, a fighter perceived as weak or an easy opponent.
- "Cream puff" (in automotive slang): A used car that has been very well-maintained, is in excellent condition, and has had an easy life, often owned by an elderly person. This is a positive connotation.
Variants and Related Words
- Profiterole: A specific type of cream puff, often smaller and sometimes served with chocolate sauce.
- Éclair: A long, finger-shaped choux pastry filled with cream and topped with icing, closely related to the cream puff.
- Choux pastry: The light, cooked dough used to make cream puffs and éclairs.
Synonyms
- Pastry: A general term for a baked food made of dough.
- Choux bun: Another name for a cream puff.
- Weakling (for the figurative sense): A person who is not physically strong.
- Pushover (for the figurative sense): A person who is easily defeated or persuaded.
Related Phrases
- "Cream puff special": An informal term for a very easy task or assignment.
Related Idioms
- "Handle with kid gloves" / "Treat like a cream puff": To treat someone or something with extreme care because they are perceived as very delicate or fragile. This idiom shares the figurative sense of delicacy.
Noun
- puff filled with cream or custard