sweetmeat

Everyday

(old-fashioned) A sweetmeat is a sweet, candy or other small sweet treat like sugared fruit, nuts or marzipan. It has nothing to do with meat. tree →

In the lessons

In old stories, fairy tales and historical books, characters eat «sweetmeats» at feasts or buy them at fairs. In history lessons about Tudor or Victorian times, banquets ended with sweetmeats. Today people say «sweets» (UK), «candy» (USA) or «lollies» (Australia, New Zealand). Phrases: «a plate of sweetmeats».

Examples

• The queen's banquet ended with sugared sweetmeats. tree →
• In the story, the witch tempted the children with sweetmeats. tree →
• Victorian children bought sweetmeats at the fair. tree →
• The tray held figs, nuts and other sweetmeats. tree →
• Sweetmeats were a rare treat for poor families long ago. tree →
• Grandad jokingly calls toffees «sweetmeats». tree →
• Everyone had as many cakes and sweetmeats as he wanted. tree →

Note

Old-fashioned. Trap: «meat» here is an old word for «food», so a sweetmeat is not meat. Countable.