What does brochette mean?
A brochette is a small skewer — usually of metal or wood — on which pieces of meat, poultry, fish, or vegetables are threaded for grilling or roasting, and by extension the skewered dish itself. The term comes to English from French, where it is a diminutive of 'broche', meaning a spit or pin, making it a linguistic cousin of the jewellery word 'brooch'. In practice, 'brochette' appears most often in menus, cookbooks, and food writing: a waiter may offer a chicken brochette, or a recipe may call for vegetables arranged en brochette, using the French phrase that signals the cooking method. It carries a mildly elegant, continental connotation, suggesting careful preparation and restaurant presentation rather than casual home cooking. While closely related in meaning to 'kebab' or 'shish kebab', which name specific culinary traditions, 'brochette' is a more general term for the skewer and its contents, and remains a useful word for anyone writing about or ordering grilled fare.
nounA small skewer used for grilling pieces of meat, fish, or vegetables; by extension, the food cooked and served on such a skewer.
- A small metal or wooden skewer on which food (meat, fish, vegetables) is grilled or served.
- (In cookery) Food prepared and served on such a skewer, as in 'a chicken brochette'.
"The chef threaded cubes of marinated lamb onto a wooden brochette before setting it over the coals."
"She ordered a mixed grill of beef and pepper brochettes sizzling over charcoal."
"Serve each brochette straight off the skewer with a drizzle of lemon-garlic sauce."
The plural normally refers to multiple skewers or multiple servings of the skewered dish, as on a menu listing several brochettes.
"Six chicken brochettes were arranged on a platter garnished with lemon wedges."
The jewellery word 'brooch' and the dinner-table 'brochette' are siblings: both descend from a French word for a pointed spit or pin.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of brochette
'Brochette' entered English from French in the early 18th century, borrowed as a diminutive of French 'broche', meaning a spit, pin, or skewer. The French word traces back through Old French to Latin 'brocca', a pointed instrument. This same root gives us 'broach' and 'brooch' in English, all sharing the underlying idea of something sharp and piercing — whether for turning meat over a fire or fastening a garment.
How brochette is actually used
Most often encountered in restaurant menus and food writing rather than everyday speech, where 'skewer' or 'kebab' is more common. Frequently used in the French loan phrase 'en brochette', meaning cooked or served on a skewer. The plural 'brochettes' typically refers to multiple skewers of food.
Easily confused with brochette
A brooch is an ornamental pin worn as jewellery, while a brochette is a culinary skewer — both share the same French root but have nothing else in common.