Meaning & use
cornichon
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A very small, sour pickled cucumber, often served with cold meats, pâté and cheese.
Grammar: Countable: one cornichon, a jar of cornichons.
Patterns
- a jar of cornichons
The cheese board came with olives, mustard and a handful of cornichons.
She sliced a cornichon thinly and placed it on the ham sandwich.
A crisp cornichon cuts through the richness of the pâté.
Word forms
| plural | cornichons |
|---|
Common combinations
- jar of cornichons
- He opened a jar of cornichons for the picnic.
- pickled cornichon
- A pickled cornichon sat beside each slice of terrine.
- cornichons and mustard
- We ate the sausage with cornichons and mustard.
- chopped cornichons
- Add chopped cornichons to the egg salad for a tangy bite.
- crunchy cornichons
- The bistro served crunchy cornichons with the charcuterie.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
Commonly confused: cornichon or cornichon vs dill pickle?
cornichon vs cornichon vs dill pickle
A dill pickle is a larger cucumber flavored with dill; a cornichon is tiny and is usually flavored with tarragon and onion.
Practice
A cornichon is most likely to appear on a plate with which of these?
Choose one answer.
A cornichon is a tart pickle, so it pairs with rich savory foods like pâté. It would clash with sweet dishes such as ice cream or strawberries.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “cornichon”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.