Word: Gravy
Definition:
1. Culinary Meaning: Gravy is a thick sauce made from the juices that drip from cooking meat. Often, flour or other ingredients are added to make it thicker and more flavorful. Sometimes, a little water is added to adjust the consistency.
Usage Instructions:
- When talking about food, "gravy" is typically used as a noun. You might say, "I love gravy on my mashed potatoes." - In a business context, you might say, "The new project was gravy for the company, bringing in a lot of profit easily."
Examples:
- Culinary: "After roasting the chicken, I made a delicious gravy from the drippings." - Figurative: "When he discovered that he could sell his old toys online, it felt like gravy."
Advanced Usage:
- In cooking, there are different types of gravy, such as brown gravy (made from the drippings of roasted meat) or white gravy (often made with milk and served over biscuits). - In business or finance, you might encounter the phrase "gravy train," which refers to a situation where someone makes a lot of money with little effort.
Word Variants:
- Gravy-like (adjective): Describing something that resembles gravy in texture or consistency.
Different Meanings:
- Beyond food, "gravy" in a metaphorical sense can refer to any additional benefits or profits that come from a situation. For example, "The extra sales during the holidays were just gravy on top of our regular income."
Synonyms:
- For the culinary meaning: sauce, dressing, condiment. - For the figurative meaning: windfall, bonus, profit.
Idioms/Phrasal Verbs:
- Gravy train: A situation where someone can make a lot of money with minimal effort. - Make gravy: To earn easy money.