Plural of gratin; dishes topped with a browned crust of cheese, breadcrumbs, or sauce, often served in a shallow pan.
From French 'gratin,' derived from 'gratter' (to scrape or grate). The term became prominent in French cuisine in the 1700s and entered English culinary vocabulary as French cooking became fashionable.
The famous dish 'au gratin' literally means 'with scraping' or 'with the gratin'—it's a French way of saying 'with that crispy, delicious stuff we scrape off the pan.'
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