Meaning & use
gateaus
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“gateaus” is a form of “gateau”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounplural
Plural of gateau: rich, fancy cakes, often with cream, fruit, or chocolate, served as a dessert.
Grammar: Use it as the subject or object of a sentence just like any plural noun; the singular is gateau.
Patterns
- a plate of gateaus
- order gateaus for dessert
The bakery window was full of small gateaus topped with strawberries.
For the party she made two chocolate gateaus and a lemon tart.
These gateaus are too rich for me after such a big meal.
nouncountablerare
A single such cake when the plural spelling is used loosely by some writers.
Grammar: Some people write gateaus for one cake, but careful writers keep gateau for one and gateaux for more than one.
Patterns
- a gateau
- one gateau
He bought a gateau for her birthday, though the label said gateaus.
A gateau this size will serve eight people easily.
Word forms
| singular | gateau |
|---|---|
| usual plural | gateaux |
Common combinations
- chocolate gateau
- We shared a slice of chocolate gateau after dinner.
- a slice of gateau
- She asked for just a slice of gateau, not a whole one.
- make a gateau
- It takes patience to make a gateau with neat layers.
- gateau with cream
- The gateau with cream and raspberries sold out first.
Synonyms and how they differ
- cake
- Cake is the general word for any baked sweet food; gateau suggests something richer and more elaborate, often served as a dessert.
- torte
- A torte is a dense European cake, often made with ground nuts or little flour, while a gateau is usually lighter and may include cream or fruit.
- dessert
- Dessert is the course at the end of a meal; a gateau is one specific kind of sweet dish you might serve as that course.
Word family
- gateau noun
- The singular form: one rich, fancy cake.
- gateaux noun
- The usual plural form of gateau, especially in British English.
Commonly confused: gateaus or gateaux? gateaus or gâteau?
gateaus vs gateaux
Gateaux is the standard plural and is far more common than gateaus; use gateaux unless you have a specific reason to choose the other spelling.
gateaus vs gâteau
Gâteau is the French spelling with an accent; in English the accent is usually dropped, giving gateau.
Practice
Which sentence uses the plural form correctly and naturally?
Choose one answer.
Gateaus is a plural form, so it fits after 'three kinds of'. Option 1 uses the singular gateau after a plural quantity, which is less natural here; option 2 has a singular 'kind' with a plural number; option 3 wrongly adds an apostrophe.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “gateaus”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.