Other forms: marmalades
Marmalade is a bitter-sweet citrus spread with peel in it. Orange marmalade, thick-cut marmalade, toast and marmalade.
In Britain it means citrus only, and jam covers everything else — a rule the European Union once wrote into law. Seville oranges are too bitter to eat and perfect for it, and their short January season is when it gets made. The word first meant quince jam.
1nounmarmaladeA citrus spread made with peel.
“He spread thick orange marmalade on his toast every morning.”
marmalade is a spread.
Portuguese marmelada means quince jam, from marmelo, a quince, from Greek melimelon, a sweet apple.
Ancient Greek
μελίμηλον
Latin
melimēlum — sweet apple
Portuguese
marmelada — quince jam
Middle French
marmelade
English, today
marmalade
Built from
Borrowed from Middle French marmelade, from Portuguese marmelada (“quince jam”), from marmelo (“quince”), from Latin melimēlum (“sweet apple”), from Ancient Greek μελίμηλον, from μέλι (“honey”) + μῆλον (“apple”). A false folk etymology claims that this comes from the - phrase “Marie est malade” (“Mary is ill”), referring to Mary, Queen of Scots, falling ill and being given marmalade to feel better.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA