noun
sherbet
SHUR-buht
noun
1
A frozen dessert of fruit juice or puree with a small amount of dairy added, milder and creamier than a sorbet.
"We had raspberry sherbet for dessert on the hottest day of summer."
2
A fizzy powder of sugar and bicarbonate of soda, eaten on its own or made into a drink.
"The kids dipped their lollipops into a bag of sherbet."
3
A traditional sweet drink from West and South Asia, made from fruit or flower petals.
"Cold rose sherbet was served to guests at the wedding."
How to Use Sherbet
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA frozen fruit dessert (British usage) or, in some regions, a sweet flavoured drink or fizzy powder.
UK vs US
In the UK, sherbet is usually the fizzy sweet powder; the creamy frozen dessert is more common in American usage, similar to sorbet.
Common pairings
sherbet lemon
raspberry sherbet
a bag of sherbet
Word Forms
sherbets plural
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Etymology
Borrowed via Ottoman Turkish and Persian from Arabic sharba ("a drink"), from the verb "to drink." A doublet of sorbet and sharbat.