French word meaning 'blue', also used in English culinary contexts to describe very rare meat. In cooking, refers to meat that is barely cooked.
From Old French 'bleu', ultimately from Frankish 'blāo' meaning 'blue'. The culinary sense developed because very rare meat has a bluish tinge, and entered English through French cooking terminology.
The culinary term 'bleu' perfectly captures the visual reality of barely-cooked meat, which actually does have a slightly blue appearance due to myoglobin proteins. This color-based cooking term shows how French cuisine has given English speakers a more precise vocabulary for describing food preparation.
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