What does grenadine mean?
Grenadine is a sweet red syrup and flavouring traditionally made from pomegranate juice. It is also the name of a pink drink produced by diluting the syrup with water or soda, and it is commonly combined with rum or other spirits in cocktails. Although its flavour is generally pomegranate-like, commercial products vary, and the drink's familiar rosy colour is often more noticeable than the fruit's taste. The word came to English from French, where it was based on grenade, meaning “pomegranate” and related to the names of both the fruit and the explosive grenade. Its ultimate Latin roots refer to grains or seeds, reflecting the pomegranate's many seeds. Grenadine therefore carries a small piece of linguistic and agricultural history in an everyday bar ingredient. It remains useful in discussions of mixed drinks, recipes, confectionery, and other foods coloured or flavoured with the syrup.
nounA sweet red syrup or flavouring traditionally made from pomegranate juice; also, the pink drink made by diluting this syrup with water or soda.
- A sweet red syrup or flavouring traditionally made from pomegranate juice and used in drinks and confectionery.
- A pink drink made by diluting grenadine syrup with water or soda.
"The bartender added a splash of grenadine to the rum punch."
"The bartender added a splash of grenadine to the rum punch."
"She used grenadine to give the homemade lemonade a ruby-red colour."
Ordinary usage is usually uncountable, but the plural can be used when counting individual servings or portions of the drink.
"The order included two grenadines."
Grenadine began as pomegranate juice, preserving the fruit's name in one of the world's most familiar pink drink ingredients.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does grenadine come from?
English borrowed grenadine from French grenadine, a derivative of grenade, “pomegranate.” The French word originally referred to pomegranate juice and later to a sweetened syrup made from it. Grenade itself comes through French from Medieval Latin granata, ultimately associated with Latin granum, “grain” or “seed,” while related forms include pomegranate, granada, and granary.
How grenadine is actually used
Grenadine is normally used as an uncountable noun, although a plural is possible when referring to separate servings. In British and American English, it may denote either the syrup itself or the finished diluted drink.
Easily confused with grenadine
A grenade is a hand-thrown explosive, whereas grenadine is a sweet pomegranate-flavoured syrup or the drink made from it.