Dictionary

sherbet en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈʃɜː.bət/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈʃɝ.bɪt/ (General-American)
• (Australia) audio
• /ˈʃɜː.bɪt/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈʃɝ.bət/ (General-American)
• (US) audio
• /ˈʃɝ.bɚt/ (General-American, nonstandard)

Etymology

Etymology tree Arabic شَرِبَ (šariba)der. Arabic شَرْبَة (šarba)bor. Classical Persian شَرْبَت (šarbat)bor. Ottoman Turkish شربت (şerbet)bor. English sherbet Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish شربت (şerbet), borrowed from Classical Persian شَرْبَت (šarbat), borrowed from Arabic شَرْبَة (šarba), from شَرِبَ (šariba). Doublet of sorbet and sharbat, related to syrup.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) A dessert of frozen fruit juice with a dairy product such as milk added; a sorbet with dairy ingredients.
   • Fay Li clicks her fingers, and the dessert trolley is already on its way. “Now, the lemon-and-melon sherbet, very low in calories, it cleanses the palate, ideal before coffee. [...]” 2004, David Mitchell, “Half-Lives: The First Luisa Rey Mystery”, in Cloud Atlas, →ISBN, page 137:
2. (countable, uncountable) An effervescent powder made of bicarbonate of soda, sugar and flavourings, intended to be eaten alone or mixed with water to make a drink.
3. (countable, uncountable) A traditional West and South Asian sweet drink prepared from fruits or flower petals.
   • Tea is becoming a favourite drink in Turkey, not instead of coffee, but of the sherbet or cool drinks that are handed to guests; it comes generally from Russia, and although a trifle dear on account of the carriage, is extremely good, when properly made. 1895, Oswald Hutton Parry, Six Months in a Syrian Monastery [2004 reprint], page 86
   • Directly they were trotted off in their little pea-green and gilt carriage, guardian negress and all, I went into the shop, about which I had all this time been loafingly prowling, and called, clapping my hands, for some violet sherbet, […] 1860, Walter Thornbury, Turkish Life and Character, volume 1, page 137:
   • The beverages of the Turks were an interesting exception to their reputation for simple foods. While many writers mentioned the Turkish penchant for drinking “cleere water,” in light of the prohibitions against alcohol (although some writers, usually those who were more negatively inclined against the Turks, maintained that they were drunkards in secret), virtually all authors discussed the nonalcoholic drinks made by the Turks to replace alcohol, not only coffee, but also sweet refined drinks such as sherbet, a cold drink that usually included sugar, water, and a fruity or flowery flavoring. Sherbet was considered a delicacy, and it and other refined drinks were mentioned in detail by a number of travelers. 2008, Anna Suranyi, The Genius of the English Nation: Travel Writing and National Identity in Early Modern England, pages 101–102:
   • There were times we regretted The summer palaces on slopes, the terraces, And the silken girls bringing sherbet. 1927 August, T[homas] S[tearns] Eliot, “[Ariel Poems.] Journey of the Magi.”, in Collected Poems 1909–1935, London: Faber & Faber […], published September 1954, →OCLC, page 107:
4. (Australia, UK, countable, slang, uncountable) An alcoholic drink, especially beer.
   • All the dealers would steam into his cabin for a few sherbets after work, and to listen to his bollocks. 2014, Peter Smith, Confessions of a Dice Dealer, page 105:

Forms

Deriveds

sherbet straw · sherbet fountain · sherbety · sherbet dabs

Synonyms

sharbat (sweet drink)

Translations (115)

fr sherbet (sweet drink prepared from fruits or flower petals) · tr şerbet (frozen fruit juice) · ga seirbit (powder) · ur شَرْبَت (sweet drink prepared from fruits or flower petals) · de Fruchteis (frozen fruit juice) · ga soirbéad (frozen fruit juice) · uz sharbat (sweet drink prepared from fruits or flower petals) · nl sorbet (frozen fruit juice) · fr sorbet laitier (frozen fruit juice) · ga seirbit (frozen fruit juice) · sh шѐрбет (frozen fruit juice) · cmn 果子露 (sweet drink prepared from fruits or flower petals) · az şərbət (sweet drink prepared from fruits or flower petals) · ta சர்பத் (frozen fruit juice) · ps شربت (sweet drink prepared from fruits or flower petals) · ja シャーベット (frozen fruit juice) · mr सरबत (frozen fruit juice) · be шарбе́т (frozen fruit juice) · hi शर्बत (frozen fruit juice) · sh шѐрбе (frozen fruit juice) · gu શરબત (sweet drink prepared from fruits or flower petals) · sv sorbet (frozen fruit juice) · pt sorbet (frozen fruit juice) · ru шербе́т (sweet drink prepared from fruits or flower petals) · my ရှလပတ်ရည် (frozen fruit juice) · pl szerbet (sweet drink prepared from fruits or flower petals) · ota شربت (frozen fruit juice) · bn শরবত (sweet drink prepared from fruits or flower petals) · hi शर्बत (sweet drink prepared from fruits or flower petals) · ky шербет (frozen fruit juice) · pt sorvete (frozen fruit juice) · sh šèrbet (frozen fruit juice) · ug شەربەت (sweet drink prepared from fruits or flower petals) · de Brausepulver (powder) · sw sharubati (frozen fruit juice) · sh шѐрбе (sweet drink prepared from fruits or flower petals) · fi juomajauhe (powder) · ar شَرْبَات (frozen fruit juice) · sq sherbet (frozen fruit juice) · es sorbete (sweet drink prepared from fruits or flower petals) · cmn 雪葩 (frozen fruit juice) · da sorbet (frozen fruit juice) · hu sörbet (sweet drink prepared from fruits or flower petals) · sh šèrbe (sweet drink prepared from fruits or flower petals) · gu શરબત (frozen fruit juice) · ka შერბეთი (sweet drink prepared from fruits or flower petals) · ms serbat (frozen fruit juice) · cs sorbet (frozen fruit juice) · hy շարբաթ (frozen fruit juice) · mt sorbè (frozen fruit juice) · ps شربت (frozen fruit juice) · tg шарбат (sweet drink prepared from fruits or flower petals) · ru шербе́т (frozen fruit juice) · ky шербет (sweet drink prepared from fruits or flower petals) · cy sorbed (frozen fruit juice) · ko 셔벗 (frozen fruit juice) · ur شَرْبَت (frozen fruit juice) · sh шѐрбет (sweet drink prepared from fruits or flower petals) · id serbet (sweet drink prepared from fruits or flower petals) · kmr şerbet (frozen fruit juice) · kk шербет (frozen fruit juice) · ug شەربەت (frozen fruit juice) · sk sorbet (frozen fruit juice) · fa-ira شَرْبَت (sweet drink prepared from fruits or flower petals) · fi jäädyke (frozen fruit juice) · es polvo acidulado (powder) · bg шербе́т (frozen fruit juice) · hy շարբաթ (sweet drink prepared from fruits or flower petals) · fi sherbet (sweet drink prepared from fruits or flower petals) · tg шарбат (frozen fruit juice) · de Scherbet (frozen fruit juice) · fi sorbetti (frozen fruit juice) · sh šèrbet (sweet drink prepared from fruits or flower petals) · ko 샤베트 (frozen fruit juice) · cmn 冰果子露 (frozen fruit juice) · ca sorbet (frozen fruit juice) · tt ширбәт (sweet drink prepared from fruits or flower petals) · de Sorbet (frozen fruit juice) · bg сорбе́ (frozen fruit juice) · prs شَرْبَت (sweet drink prepared from fruits or flower petals) · sv bruspulver (powder) · fr sorbet (frozen fruit juice) · ar شَرْبَات (sweet drink prepared from fruits or flower petals) · kk шербет (sweet drink prepared from fruits or flower petals) · ca sidral (powder) · it granita (frozen fruit juice) · cmn 果子露 (frozen fruit juice) · fr serbet (sweet drink prepared from fruits or flower petals) · ota شربت (sweet drink prepared from fruits or flower petals) · pl oranżada w proszku (powder) · prs شَرْبَت (frozen fruit juice) · uk шербе́т (sweet drink prepared from fruits or flower petals) · hu sörbet (frozen fruit juice) · ka შერბეთი (frozen fruit juice) · ml സർബത്ത് (sweet drink prepared from fruits or flower petals) · bn শরবত (frozen fruit juice) · tk şerbet (frozen fruit juice) · eo ŝorbeto (frozen fruit juice) · gl sorbete (frozen fruit juice) · az şərbət (frozen fruit juice) · fr sharbat (sweet drink prepared from fruits or flower petals) · cy sierbet (powder) · be шарбе́т (sweet drink prepared from fruits or flower petals) · fa-ira شَرْبَت (frozen fruit juice) · tt ширбәт (frozen fruit juice) · tk şerbet (sweet drink prepared from fruits or flower petals) · sh šèrbe (frozen fruit juice) · tr şerbet (sweet drink prepared from fruits or flower petals) · pl sorbet mleczny (frozen fruit juice) · pa ਸ਼ਰਬਤ (frozen fruit juice) · es sorbete (frozen fruit juice) · pa ਸ਼ਰਬਤ (sweet drink prepared from fruits or flower petals) · uz sharbat (frozen fruit juice) · it sorbetto (frozen fruit juice) · uk шербе́т (frozen fruit juice)