noun · verb · 4 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
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˌmɑː.d͡ʒəˈɹiːn/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈmɑː.d͡ʒ(ə.)ɹɪn/
Received-Pronunciation, dated:/ˌmɑː.ɡəˈɹiːn/
US:/ˈmɑɹ.d͡ʒ(ə.)ɹɪn/
US:/ˈmɑɹ.d͡ʒəˌɹin/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Philippines:/ˈmaɾ.ɡɐ.ɾɪn/
CMU ARPABET:M AA1 R JH ER0 AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A spread, manufactured from a blend of vegetable oils (some of which are hydrogenated), emulsifiers etc, mostly used as a substitute for butter.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: marg, marge, oleo, oleomargarine
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: food, groceries
2
noun
Meaning 2
The solid ingredient of human fat, olive oil, etc.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dated, uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To spread or cover (something) with margarine.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: marge
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
a spread made chiefly from vegetable oils and used as a substitute for butter
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: margarin, oleo, oleomargarine, marge
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: spread, paste
Narrower terms: stick
History
Etymology
Borrowed from French margarine, from acide margarique (“margaric acid”), from Ancient Greek μάργαρον (márgaron, “pearl”), in allusion to its pearly lustre, with the suffix -ine, influenced by glycérine (“glycerine”). French chemist Michel Eugène Chevreul named margaric acid after its pearl-like crystallization.
Across languages
Translations
76 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
kunsbotter
— spread
Afrikaans:
margarien
— spread
Albanian:
margarinë
— spread
Arabic:
سَمْن نَبَاتِيّ
(samn nabātiyy)
— spread
Arabic:
مَارْقَرين
(mārgarīn)
— spread
Arabic:
سَمن نباتي
(samin nabāti)
— spread
Armenian:
մարգարին
(margarin)
— spread
Azerbaijani:
marqarin
— spread
Belarusian:
маргары́н
(marharýn)
— spread
Bengali:
মার্জারিন
(marjarin)
— spread
Bulgarian:
маргари́н
(margarín)
— spread
Catalan:
margarina
— spread
Chinese Cantonese:
植物牛油
(zik6 mat6 ngau4 jau4)
— spread
Chinese Mandarin:
植物黃油 /植物黄油
(zhíwù huángyóu)
— spread
