chutney

chutney — noun

1. a preserve of cooked fruit simmered with sugar, vinegar, and spices, eaten cold

1.nounB1
Definition

a preserve of cooked fruit simmered with sugar, vinegar, and spices, eaten cold as a savoury accompaniment to meat, cheese, or bread

Example

Harper spread a generous spoonful of mango chutney over her grilled chicken.

collocation: [fruit] chutney

The cookbook includes a recipe for apple chutney with ginger and cinnamon.

collocation: a recipe for [type] chutney

Common collocations
  • mango chutney
  • apple chutney
  • spicy chutney
  • a jar of chutney
  • a spoonful of chutney
  • serve with chutney
  • homemade chutney
Synonyms
  • relish

    a broader term for any cooked pickled condiment; relish is often chunkier and less sweet than chutney

  • pickle

    generally refers to vegetables preserved in brine or vinegar; chutney is fruit-based and sweeter

  • chow-chow

    a specific type of North American relish made from mixed vegetables; less sweet and spiced than Indian-style chutney

Grammar Patterns

[adjective] chutney

[fruit] chutney

a jar / spoonful of chutney

Usage Note

Chutney is most often uncountable (would you like some chutney?) but can be countable when referring to a particular variety or batch (a nice mango chutney; their chutneys are all handmade).

Common Mistakes

I put chutney on my ice cream.
I put chutney on my cheese and crackers.
chutney is eaten with savoury food, not sweet desserts.

2. a style of music from the Caribbean, especially Trinidad and Tobago, that blends

2.nounC1
Definition

a style of music from the Caribbean, especially Trinidad and Tobago, that blends traditional Indian melodies and instruments with local Caribbean rhythms such as calypso and soca

Example

Emre danced to chutney music at the Trinidadian street festival last summer.

collocation: chutney music

Ishaan's band blends chutney beats with modern pop for a fresh carnival sound.

Common collocations
  • chutney music
  • chutney singer
  • chutney band
  • traditional chutney
  • chutney beats
  • chutney festival
Synonyms
  • soca

    a related but distinct Caribbean genre; chutney is more Indian in melody and instrument, while soca has stronger African-Caribbean percussion

  • calypso

    the older Trinidadian genre with storytelling lyrics; chutney grew out of a fusion of Indian music with calypso and soca

Grammar Patterns

chutney + noun (chutney music / chutney singer / chutney band)

[adjective] chutney (traditional chutney / modern chutney)

Usage Note

This sense is specific to the Caribbean region and is often encountered in discussions of world music, diaspora culture, and Trinidadian festivals. It is not widely known outside the Caribbean or world-music contexts.

Common Mistakes

We listened to chutney while eating dinner.' (ambiguous — reader may think of the sauce)
We listened to chutney music while learning about Caribbean culture.
adding 'music' removes ambiguity.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Chutney, relish, pickle, and chow-chow are all condiments served alongside savoury food, but they differ in ingredients and cultural origin. Chutney (from Indian cuisine) is fruit-based, sweet-and-sour, and spiced with ingredients like ginger, cumin, or chilli. Relish is a broader term for any cooked or pickled condiment, often chunkier and less sweet — for example, sweetcorn relish or cucumber relish. Pickle, in the American sense, refers to vegetables (especially cucumber) preserved in brine or vinegar, while in British or Indian usage it can refer to spiced oil-based preserves like lime pickle or mixed pickle. Chow-chow is a specific North American relish of chopped mixed vegetables in a mustard-vinegar sauce, with a much sharper, less sweet flavour than mango chutney. Sauce is the most general term and can describe any liquid or semi-liquid accompaniment, including chutney itself. If you want a sweet-spiced fruit condiment, choose chutney; if you want a tangy vegetable preserve, choose pickle or relish.

relishpicklechow-chowsauce ↗

Etymology

SanskritHindiEnglishCaribbean English

Chutney entered English from Hindi चटनी (chaṭnī), which comes from the Hindi verb चाटना (cāṭnā) meaning 'to lick' — a reference to its role as a tasty, finger-licking accompaniment. The word travelled to Britain during the colonial period in the 17th–18th centuries, and both the condiment and its name spread through the British Empire to the Caribbean, where it later also gave its name to the music genre.