To gradually adjust the temperature of an ingredient to prevent shock or curdling, such as slowly warming eggs before adding them to hot liquid, or to control the crystallization of chocolate through specific heating and cooling cycles.
From Latin 'temperare' meaning 'to mix in due proportion' or 'to moderate'. In cooking, the term evolved to describe the careful modulation of temperature to achieve desired textures and prevent unwanted reactions like curdling or seizing.
Tempering chocolate is pure science—cocoa butter can form six different types of crystals, but only Form V creates the glossy, stable chocolate we want. Professional chocolatiers manipulate temperature precisely to encourage the right crystals while preventing the wrong ones, creating chocolate that snaps cleanly and has perfect sheen.
Gendered expectations around emotional expression: men's anger is 'temper' (uncontrollable, excused); women's anger is 'hysterical' or 'irrational.' This linguistic split reinforces different accountability standards.
Use 'temper,' 'anger,' 'frustration' consistently across all people without gendered frames. Avoid labeling emotion as inherently gendered.
Women's anger has been systematically pathologized in language; reclaiming anger as valid emotion is feminist work.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.