Plural of ersatz; artificial or synthetic substitutes made to replace something more valuable or natural.
From German 'Ersatz' meaning 'replacement' or 'substitute,' coined in the 19th century. The word gained English popularity during World War I when Germany used ersatz materials due to blockades. It combines German 'er-' (prefix meaning 'out') and 'satz' (replacement).
During WWI, Germans created entire industries around ersatz products—coffee made from acorns, butter from fat substitutes—and the word became synonymous with wartime scarcity. This is why 'ersatz' sounds so German even in English: it literally describes a nation's creative desperation.
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