croquette (English)

Where does "croquette" come from?

The English word 'croquette' was borrowed from French 'croquette'[1], which emerged in the eighteenth century[2]. The French term is formed from the verb 'croquer', meaning 'to crunch', combined with the diminutive suffix '-ette'[1][2]. The verb itself traces back through Middle French and Old French 'crokier', meaning 'to slap, hit, or strike', which is likely a variant related to Modern French 'craquer', meaning 'to break, crack, or crunch'[3]. Additionally, 'croquette' serves as a doublet of the word 'korokke'[1].

Open questions

• The connection between Old French crokier and Modern French craquer relies on a probable rather than certain historical relationship. [3]

Full etymology tree

• croquette (English), 'A minced, cooked food (usually meat or vegetables), which is deep-fried in fat and sometimes sprinkled with breadcrumbs.'
  • borrowed croquette (French), 'croquette (minced, cooked food which is then deep-fried)'
    • derived croquer (French), 'to crunch'
      • inherited croquer (Middle French)
        • inherited crokier (Old French)
          • derived craquer (French), 'to split, to break'
    • suffix -ette (French), 'female equivalent of -et'

Ancestors

• croquette (French)

Cognates and doublets

• korokke (English)

Descendants and derived words

• cróicéad (Irish)

Sources

1. croquette (English) - Wiktionary
2. croquette (French) - Wiktionary
3. croquer (French) - Wiktionary

Updated August 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris