What does sorbet mean?
Sorbet is a sweet frozen dessert usually made by churning fruit, sugar, and water, and it ordinarily contains no milk or cream. Its texture is often lighter and more sharply flavored than ice cream, making it especially associated with fruit flavors such as lemon, raspberry, and mango. In British English, the term can also function as a broader label for fruit ice, whereas in American English the distinction between sorbet and sherbet is more sharply observed: sorbet is dairy-free, while sherbet may contain milk. Sorbet is consequently associated with warm weather, refreshment, and lighter desserts, although professional kitchens may use it to describe carefully crafted frozen preparations served in restaurants or purchased from specialist shops. Its unusual history also makes it a word that rewards attention: it entered English through French and Italian and ultimately derives from an Arabic word for a sweet drink.
nounA frozen dessert made from fruit, sugar, and water, typically without milk or cream. In British English, it may also refer to a fruit ice more generally.
- A frozen dessert made from fruit, sugar, and water, without milk or cream.
- In British English, a fruit-based frozen dessert, sometimes used more broadly for a fruit ice.
"We served lemon sorbet after dinner."
"The shop offers raspberry sorbet and dairy-free chocolate ice cream."
"For a lighter dessert, blend ripe peaches into sorbet and serve it with mint."
Used when referring to multiple varieties or portions of the dessert.
"The café sells several sorbets made with seasonal fruit."
Sorbet is the dairy-free frozen dessert whose name travels through French, Italian, Turkish, and Arabic.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sorbet come from?
The English word dates to the early 17th century and entered through French sorbet, from Italian sorbetto. Italian sorbetto came from Turkish şerbet, which was borrowed from Arabic sharbāt, meaning a drink or sweet sherbet. The related English word sherbet preserves a closely related form of the same Arabic source.
Related word forms
How sorbet is actually used
The word is common in British and American English. American sherbet may contain dairy, while sorbet is conventionally made without it; the distinction is less consistent in British usage.
Easily confused with sorbet
Sorbet is made without dairy, whereas sherbet in American English is a fruit-flavored frozen dessert that may contain milk.