Standard Lemma guide

gateau

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • rhymes with -ætəʊ
  • rhymes with -əʊ
  • CMU ARPABET: G AA0 T OW1 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A rich, usually iced, cake.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK, countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A dish of minced meat made up like a pudding, and boiled in a shape or mould.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable

Topics: cooking, food, lifestyle

Examples

  • a gateau of veal

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

any of various rich and elaborate cakes

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: cake

History

Etymology

Borrowed from French gâteau. Doublet of wastel.

Across languages

Translations

26 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: كَعْكَة (kaʕka) — rich, iced cake
  • Bulgarian: торта (torta) — rich, iced cake
  • Bulgarian: паста (pasta) — rich, iced cake
  • Chinese Mandarin: 奶油蛋糕 (nǎiyóu dàngāo) — rich, iced cake
  • Czech: dort — rich, iced cake
  • Dutch: taart — rich, iced cake
  • Finnish: kakku — rich, iced cake
  • Finnish: täytekakku — rich, iced cake
  • French: gâteau — rich, iced cake
  • German: Kuchen — rich, iced cake
  • German: Torte — rich, iced cake
  • Hungarian: torta — rich, iced cake
  • Italian: torta — rich, iced cake
  • Japanese: ケーキ (kēki) — rich, iced cake
  • Japanese: ガトー (gatō) — rich, iced cake
  • Korean: 케이크 (keikeu) — rich, iced cake
  • Polish: tort — rich, iced cake
  • Portuguese: bolo cremoso — rich, iced cake
  • Russian: пиро́жное (piróžnoje) — rich, iced cake
  • Russian: торт (tort) — rich, iced cake
  • Russian: гато́ (gató) — rich, iced cake
  • Spanish: tarta — rich, iced cake
  • Swedish: tårta — rich, iced cake
  • Vietnamese: bánh ngọt — rich, iced cake
  • Vietnamese: bánh ga tô — rich, iced cake
  • Vietnamese: bánh kem — rich, iced cake
Real reading context

gateau in complete knowledge articles