alphenic

English

Etymology

From French alphénic, alfénic, from Spanish alfeñique, from Arabic فَانِيد (fānīd), from Persian پانید (pânid, “sugar candy”).

Noun

alphenic (countable and uncountable, plural alphenics)

1. (rare) White barley sugar
   • 1881, I.M.L.W., The bag of gold:

     There was Patella — wise as any owl — promising to cure me with his "Alphenic" ; but him I quickly showed the door; for here (laying his hand on the book), in here, I found this learned word is Arabic for sugar-candy!

   • 1980, Tien-kung-kai-wu, page 189:

     The white sugar, or alphenic, is its best quality.

   • 2016, John McQuaid, Tasty: The Art and Science of What We Eat, page 114:

     A popular Arab treatment for the common cold was al fanad or al panad, small sugar twists made from congealed syrup, which became known in English as alphenics or penides.

References

• “alphenic”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• chalepin, cephalin