pastry

pastry — noun

1. a rich dough that is baked as a thin shell or cover around food, especially in p

1.nounC1
Definition

a rich dough that is baked as a thin shell or cover around food, especially in pies and similar dishes

Example

Lena rolled the pastry thin before adding the apple filling.

roll out pastry before filling

The cook brushed milk over the pastry to help it brown.

brush pastry before baking

Common collocations
  • pastry shell
  • pastry lid
  • puff pastry
  • shortcrust pastry
  • roll out pastry
Synonyms
  • dough

    a broader word for many flour mixtures; pastry is richer and used for baked shells or covers

  • crust

    usually means the baked outside part, not the raw mixture before cooking

  • pie crust

    a more specific term for pastry used in pies

Grammar Patterns

roll out pastry

brush the pastry with milk

cover something with pastry

Usage Note

Usually uncountable when you mean the dough material itself. Common verbs are roll out, brush, fill, and cover, and the noun often appears with pie, tart, shell, or lid.

Common Mistakes

I made a pastry for the pie.
I made pastry for the pie.
Use the uncountable form when you mean the dough, not one baked item.

2. a small sweet food baked from pastry, often with fruit, cream, or nuts inside or

2.nounC1
Definition

a small sweet food baked from pastry, often with fruit, cream, or nuts inside or on top

Example

I bought a cherry pastry and coffee before the train left.

buy a pastry

On Sundays, Emma fills each pastry with cream and berries.

fill a pastry with cream

Common collocations
  • cherry pastry
  • cream-filled pastry
  • warm pastry
  • share a pastry
  • fruit pastry
Synonyms
  • danish

    a specific kind of sweet pastry, not the general word for all items of this type

  • tart

    usually has an open top and is only one subtype of pastry

  • turnover

    is folded over a filling, so it names a particular shape

Grammar Patterns

buy a pastry

eat a pastry

fill a pastry with cream

Usage Note

Countable in this sense because it names one individual thing you can buy or eat. Distinguish from noun/1, which is the dough, and from noun/3, which refers to these foods as a general category.

Common Mistakes

I ate pastry with my tea.
I ate a pastry with my tea.
Use a or the when you mean one item.
The shop sells many pastry.
The shop sells many pastries.
The plural form is pastries for more than one item.

3. sweet baked foods of this kind considered together, such as tarts, buns, and sim

3.noun
Definition

sweet baked foods of this kind considered together, such as tarts, buns, and similar treats

Example

The hotel served pastry with tea after guests checked in.

serve pastry with tea

Owen avoids rich pastry before work because it feels too heavy.

rich pastry as a food group

Common collocations
  • rich pastry
  • fresh pastry
  • pastry and cakes
  • serve pastry
  • trays of pastry
Synonyms
  • baked goods

    a broader term that also includes bread and non-sweet items

  • sweets

    broader and less specific; it can include candy as well as baked desserts

  • desserts

    focuses on sweet foods eaten after a meal, not only baked ones

Grammar Patterns

serve pastry with coffee

a tray of pastry

rich pastry

Usage Note

Usually uncountable when talking about this kind of sweet food in general or about the selection on offer. Distinguish from noun/2, which points to one single item.

Common Mistakes

The cafe offers many pastry with lunch.
The cafe offers a lot of pastry with lunch.' / 'The cafe offers many pastries with lunch.
Use the mass form for the category, or the plural countable form for separate items.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For noun/1, pastry is a rich dough used to make a thin baked shell or cover, especially for pies and tarts. Dough is wider and can mean bread dough, pizza dough, or many other mixtures, so it does not always suggest a crisp baked layer. Crust usually names the outside part after baking, especially the firm top, bottom, or edge. Batter is different again: it is softer and wetter, and you pour it instead of rolling it out. Use pastry when shape and texture matter, as in Roll the pastry before adding the fruit. Use crust when you mean the finished outside layer, as in The pie crust broke when I cut it.

pastry ↗dough ↗crustbatter

Common collocations

Nouns

  • pastry chef
  • pastry shop
  • pastry tray

Phrases

  • make pastry
  • serve pastry
  • buy pastries

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Pastry entered English in the late Middle English period. It developed from paste, a word for a dough-like mixture, and its shape was also influenced by Old French pastaierie, which referred to pastry making or pastry goods. That history helps explain why the modern word can mean both the dough itself and the sweet baked things made from it.