charoset

Pronunciations

charoset (chah-ROH-sit) listen
charoset (chah-ROW-set) listen

Definitions

  • n. Sweet, mushy mixture that represents mortar at the Passover seder.

Example Sentences

  • "Shira's Persian grandma makes charoset with figs."

  • "One of my favorite parts of Passover is chopping the apples for charoses."

Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew

Etymology

  • חרוסת

    • Who Uses This

      • Jews: Jews of diverse religious backgrounds and organizational involvements

      Regions

      • North America

      Dictionaries

      • The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001).
      • The Joys of Hebrew, by Lewis Glinert (New York, 1992).
      • Dictionary of Jewish Usage: A Popular Guide to the Use of Jewish Terms, by Sol Steinmetz (Lanham, MD, 2005).

      Alternative Spellings

      charoises, kharoyses, haroset, charosis, charoses

Notes

  • Ingredients vary by region of origin. Middle Eastern and Sephardic Jews largely use dates, rather than apples. Common among Ashkenazim in the US: "The mixture of apples, sweet red wine, and chopped nuts that is placed on the seder plate at Pesach." (JPS)

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