hagelslag

Dutch

hagelslag

Etymology

From Middle Dutch hagelslach (“severe hailstorm”). Equivalent to hagel (“hail”) +‎ slag (“blow, hit”). As a term for a type of sweet, it originally referred to elongated white aniseed sprinkles as they were thought to resemble falling hail; this sense was subsequently widened as other varieties entered the market.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɦaː.ɣəlˌslɑx/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ha‧gel‧slag

Noun

hagelslag m (uncountable)

1. hundreds and thousands, sprinkles (elongated and often made of chocolate); jimmies [from early 20th c.]

   Synonyms: hagel, hagelkorrel, muizenstrontjes

2. hailstorm, particularly a severe one

Derived terms

• chocoladehagelslag