marzipan

American  

[mahr-zuh-pan] / ˈmɑr zəˌpæn /

noun

1. a confection made of almonds reduced to a paste with sugar and often molded into various forms, usually diminutive fruits and vegetables.

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marzipan British  

/ ˈmɑːzɪˌpæn /

noun

1. Also called (esp formerly): marchpane.  a paste made from ground almonds, sugar, and egg whites, used to coat fruit cakes or moulded into sweets

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1. informal of or relating to the stratum of middle managers in a financial institution or other business

   marzipan layer job losses

Etymology

Origin of marzipan

1535–45; < German < Italian marzapane. See marchpane

Explanation

Marzipan is a sweet, soft candy made from ground almonds and sugar. Sometimes marzipan is dyed with food coloring and shaped into fruit, animals, or people — so if your niece loves going to the zoo, you might top her birthday cake with marzipan elephants and lions. You can buy marzipan in a tube or roll from stores that sell baking supplies. It can be rolled out into thin sheets and used as icing, covered in chocolate, or mixed into breads and cakes like stollen and Louisiana king cake. If you love the flavor of almonds, you'll probably like marzipan. It was originally called marchpane and was even mentioned in Romeo and Juliet. Experts think the word derives from martius panis, or "bread of March" in Latin.

Example Sentences

Further along the table, a three-tiered honey cake sits near a wholemeal plum cake with spiced icing, while a Swedish princess cake draws gasps of admiration with its dome of sponge, jam, custard and marzipan.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

His favourite treat, however, is the Simnel cake, a traditional fruitcake typically made with a layer of either marzipan or almond paste and associated with Lent.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

We enjoyed them with beer and Grauburgunder wine, Bavarian mustard, marzipan and Lebkuchen cookies I had brought back in my suitcase.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025

Emiko uses Lübeck marzipan, which contains 52% almonds.

From Salon • Sep. 19, 2023

She bought a second bakery and plans to sell tricolor cupcakes and Uncle Sam marzipan.

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García