omelet

noun

om·​e·​let ˈäm-lət How to pronounce omelet (audio)
ˈä-mə-
variants or omelette
: beaten eggs cooked without stirring until set and served folded in half
Her omelet had a filling of cheese, peppers, and meat.

Examples of omelet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Eat them as a side dish or add them to omelets, salads, pasta, tacos, and more. —Cynthia Sass, Mph, Health, 13 Apr. 2024 The Farmhouse Restaurant at Fair Oaks Farms A special Easter brunch buffet, with multiple sittings, features French toast, a carving station with prime rib, ham, Atlantic salmon and omelets. —The Indianapolis Star, 27 Mar. 2024 The buffet includes carving and omelet stations, desserts and cocktail specials, and there will be an Easter egg hunt. —Elaine Rewolinski, Journal Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2024 Customers can find omelets, french toast and eggs on the breakfast menu, with options ranging in price from $8 to $12. —Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 1 Mar. 2024 Choose from classic breakfast items such as French toast, pancakes, and omelets. —Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 20 Mar. 2024 From Julia Child-style French omelets and frizzled eggs to poached and hard-boiled, there are dozens of ways to create your own personal perfect egg recipe (or potentially be at risk for these common egg mistakes). —Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Feb. 2024 Here was Pichai, a hero to many aspiring entrepreneurs in India, casually describing his morning: waking up, reading newspapers, drinking tea—and eating an omelet. —Lauren Goode, WIRED, 21 Mar. 2024 Or stop by in the morning for a darn good breakfast burrito, omelet or quinoa bowl. —Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'omelet.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French omelette, alteration of Middle French amelette, alemette, alteration of alemelle thin plate, ultimately from Latin lamella, diminutive of lamina

First Known Use

circa 1611, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of omelet was circa 1611

Phrases Containing omelet

Dictionary Entries Near omelet

omegoid

omelet

omen

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Omelet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/omelet. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.

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Kids Definition

omelet

noun
om·​elet
variants also omelette
ˈäm-(ə-)lət
: beaten eggs cooked without stirring and served folded in half
Etymology

from French omelette "omelet," derived from early French amelette, alemette, altered forms of alemelle "omelet," literally, "knife blade, thin plate," derived from la lemelle (same meaning), derived from Latin lamella "a small thin metal plate," from lamina "a thin plate"

Word Origin
Although the word omelet bears little resemblance to Latin lamina, the shape of an omelet does resemble a thin plate, which is what lamina, the ultimate source of omelet, means. The Latin noun lamella, a diminutive form of lamina, became lemelle "blade of a knife" in medieval French. La lemelle "the blade" was misinterpreted as l'alemelle, and so the word gained an initial vowel. In later French, alemelle or alumelle was altered (by substituting the suffix -ette for the suffix -elle) into allumette, which acquired the meaning "dish made with beaten eggs" (such a dish resembling a thin plate or blade). After a later alteration to omelette the word found its way into English.

More from Merriam-Webster on omelet

Nglish: Translation of omelet for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of omelet for Arabic Speakers

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