margarine

/,mɑ:dʤə'ri:n/

Thân thiện

A person spreads margarine on a slice of toast.

Definition

Noun: A spread made primarily from vegetable oils, used as a substitute for butter. It is typically produced by emulsifying these oils with water or milk, and often contains additional ingredients like salt, colorings, and vitamins to resemble the taste, texture, and nutritional profile of butter.

Usage

Margarine is used as a spread on bread, toast, and crackers, and as an ingredient in cooking and baking (e.g., for frying, sautéing, or in pastries and cakes). It serves a similar culinary function to butter.

Examples

Advanced Usage

• "Soft/tub margarine": Margarine that is sold in a tub and is spreadable straight from the refrigerator, often higher in unsaturated fats.
• "Stick/block margarine": Margarine sold in solid sticks or blocks, often used for baking where a specific fat measurement is required.
• "Non-dairy margarine": Margarine made without any milk derivatives, suitable for a vegan diet or for those with lactose intolerance.

Variants and Related Words

• Marge (noun, informal): A common informal shortening of "margarine."
  • Could you pass the marge, please?
• Oleomargarine (noun, historical/technical): An older, more technical term for margarine.

Synonyms

• Spread (in this specific context): A general term for substances like butter or margarine used on bread.
• Butter substitute: A direct descriptive synonym.

Related Phrases/Idioms

(Note: There are no common idioms or phrasal verbs specifically for "margarine.")

Học thuật

Noun

1. a spread made chiefly from vegetable oils and used as a substitute for butter

Từ đồng nghĩa

• margarin
• oleo
• oleomargarine
• marge