ENGLISH
REFERENCE

bismarck

n. countable
C2 Proficiency US //ˈbɪzˌmɑɹk// bis·mar·ck

n. a type of sweet pastry filled with jam or cream, often covered in sugar. In some places, it is also a name for a specific kind of dark grey color.

n. a jelly-filled doughnut or similar filled pastry, typically deep-fried and coated in sugar. Capitalised when referring to the 19th-century German statesman Otto von Bismarck or things named after him.


SIMPLE

I bought a fresh raspberry bismarck for breakfast.

CONTEXTUAL

The bakery is famous for its bismarcks, which are generously filled with homemade custard and dusted with powdered sugar.

COMPLEX

While the term is most commonly associated with the German Chancellor, in North American regional dialects it frequently identifies a specific variety of Berliner or jelly-filled pastry.

Usage

When referring to the pastry, it is a common noun; when referring to the historical figure or the capital of North Dakota, it must be capitalised.

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