sorbet

noun

sor·​bet sȯr-ˈbā How to pronounce sorbet (audio)
also ˈsȯr-bət
: a usually fruit-flavored ice served as a dessert or between courses as a palate refresher

Examples of sorbet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The glacier carts and kiosks that dish out ice cream, soft serve and sorbets did brisk business all week. — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 27 June 2026 Lastly, the yuzu poached orange dessert with crunchy meringue and lemon sorbet. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 June 2026 The pandan cakes were feather-light yet buttery, balanced neatly by sharp passionfruit sorbet. — Arion McNicoll, TheWeek, 15 June 2026 This versatile ice cream maker lets the whole family whip up gelato, milkshakes, sorbet, and classic ice cream in a flash. — Madeline Merinuk, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for sorbet

Word History

Etymology

French, from Middle French, sweetened fruit juice, from Old Italian sorbetto, from Turkish şerbet — more at sherbet

First Known Use

1864, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sorbet was in 1864

Rhymes for sorbet

See All Rhymes for sorbet

Browse Nearby Words

sorbent
sorbet
Sorbian
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sorbet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sorbet. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

sorbet

noun
sor·​bet sȯr-ˈbā How to pronounce sorbet (audio)
: a fruit-flavored ice served especially as a dessert
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All