Also 9 souflet, soufflée. [F., pa. pple. of souffler:—L. sufflāre, f. sub under + flāre to blow.
The use of the fem. form soufflée is prob. due to its occurrence in omelette soufflée.]
A. sb. A light dish, either sweet or savory, made by mixing materials with white of egg beaten up to a froth, and heating the mixture in an oven until it puffs up.
α. 1813. L. E. Ude, French Cook, 195. Soufflé of young Partridges.
1846. Soyer, Cookery, 575. Soufflés when well-made are excellent removes for the winter season.
1847. Disraeli, Tancred, I. i. I entrusted the soufflées to him.
1883. ‘Annie Thomas,’ Mod. Housewife, 14. Ducklings and roast pigeons followed, then some pastry and a well-made soufflé.
fig. 1891. G. Meredith, One of our Conq., xx. Our soufflé of sentiment will be seen subsiding under a breath.
β. 1831. Society, I. 83–4. Take my plate … for some of the sweets near Miss Bradford. Not the souflet.
1836. B. Hall, Schloss Hainfeld, vii. 104. Last of all, a souflet worthy of Very’s or Beauvilliers’.
b. attrib., as soufflé-case, -dish, etc.
1846. Soyer, Cookery, 329. In a common pie-dish or silver soufflée-dish. Ibid., 564. A cover large enough for the soufflé-case.
1888. Athenæum, 22 Sept., 377/3. Mere whipped-egg soufflé work of the most artistic kind.
B. adj. Of ceramic ware: Having liquid color applied by means of blowing.
1878. Miss J. J. Young, Ceramic Art, 152. The soufflé decoration is characteristic.
