marmite

Noun (1)

marmite (plural marmites)

1. A rounded cooking pot of various designs, commonly pot-bellied, with or without tripod, handles, lid etc; originally earthenware but currently more commonly of cast iron or other metals.
   • My little boy having been ill of a fever for forty days, I have learned from his attendant how to make the celebrated soup (bouillon) of Paris: and finding it to be superior to any that I ever before tasted, I take the liberty to send you the directions necessary to enable any one to prepare this...1824 Thomas Gill. The Technical Repository p. 180: XXXV: On the French Marmite, or Pot-au-Feu: and on preparing Bouillon with it

Proper noun capitalized: Marmite

IPA/ˈmɑː(ɹ)maɪt/

Marmite

1. (Commonwealth) A brand of sticky, dark brown, strongly flavored spread based on a yeast extract (a by-product of beer brewing), eaten on toast, in sandwiches, in savory dishes, etc.
   • Peyró has the grace to acknowledge that Marmite isn’t really a sauce before dismissing it as “filth”, and moving on to mint sauce.2020 April 9, Sam Jones, “Spanish writer spills beans on UK's saucy secrets”, in The Guardian, →ISSN

Noun (2) capitalized: Marmite

IPA/ˈmɑː(ɹ)maɪt/

Marmite (countable and uncountable, plural Marmites)

1. (UK, informal) Something which people either love or hate.
   • A pink gin is prepared by swirling a few drops of bitters round the glass and throwing any excess away. It's the Marmite of the drinking world.2000 May 30, Mike Page, “Re: Milk bar [WAS: Re: Great googly-moogly]”, in alt.usage.english (Usenet)
   • Ah, anchovies - the marmite of the marine world. Personally, I love them, at least on pizzas.2001 March 6, Mark Blunden, “Re:Another Recipe Request”, in alt.babylon5.uk (Usenet)

Adjective capitalized: Marmite

IPA/ˈmɑː(ɹ)maɪt/

Marmite (comparative more Marmite, superlative most Marmite)

1. (UK, informal) Divisive, such that one either loves or hates it; polarizing.
   • But that 10% gap between fans and detractors leaves room for an interesting concept: is there something more Marmite than Marmite?2019 October 25, “What’s more Marmite than Marmite?”, in YouGov
   • 'Hangry', fittingly, is very Marmite. For some it is newfangled and unpalatable, but for others it is an essential description of everyday life.2022 October 13, Susie Dent, Words from the Heart: An Emotional Dictionary, Hachette UK, →ISBN

Verb capitalized: Marmite

IPA/ˈmɑː(ɹ)maɪt/

Marmite (third-person singular simple present Marmites, present participle Marmiting, simple past and past participle Marmited)

1. (transitive) To apply Marmite to.
   • My toast carefully Marmited, I took a bite and immediately felt as if I’d been hit in the face by an ocean wave, a wave befouled by oil from a sinking tanker, oil that had caused a die-off of marine birds and invertebrates, creatures whose decomposing bodies were adding to the general funkiness...2009 December 9, John Kelly, “Marmite is more easily digested in book form”, in Washington Post