mirliton

[ mir-li-ton; French meer-lee-tawn ]

noun

, plural mir·li·tons [mir, -li-tonz, mee, r, -lee-, tawn].

1. kazoo.
2. chayote.

mirliton

/ ˈmɜːlɪtɒn /

noun

1. another name (chiefly US) for chayote

Word History and Origins

Origin of mirliton¹

1810–20; < French: literally, reed-pipe

Word History and Origins

Origin of mirliton¹

C19: French, literally: reed pipe, of imitative origin

Example Sentences

When he was growing up in a French-speaking Creole family in Louisiana, the Thanksgiving meal seemed endless, segueing from gumbo to roast duck to turkey with oyster, shrimp and crab meat stuffing, to stewed wild rabbit, to stuffed mirliton squash, to redfish.

From New York Times

Levi Raines, the chef de cuisine at Bywater American Bistro, which opened last spring, developed an oyster gravy that is essentially gumbo by another name: a creamy purée of poached oysters and grated mirliton squash served over jasmine rice with fried jerk-spiced oysters.

From New York Times

Instead of shepherdesses, the traditional mirliton dance is taken over by pink poodles, “mirlipoos,” and a roguish male dog who bounds around and scratches his fleas. 

From Washington Post

Hawaii’s residents search for pumpkin crunch 145 times as often as Americans elsewhere do, which is to say that the dish is more Hawaiian than wild rice casserole is Minnesotan or mirliton casserole is Louisianan.

From New York Times

This time of year, New Orleanians have a peculiar attachment to the mirliton—known as the christophine or chayote in other parts of the world.

From Southern Living