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margarina

margarine

noun mahr-gah-REE-nah Rare
Food & Drink Ingredients

Origin: From French margarine, coined by chemist Michel Chevreul from Greek margarites (pearl), for the pearlescent appearance of the fatty acid.

Usage Note

Margarina is the direct equivalent of English 'margarine' and is used across all Spanish-speaking regions without significant variation. It is feminine: la margarina. It is worth noting that the distinction between mantequilla (butter) and margarina is important in Spanish recipes — they are never used interchangeably in cookery texts, unlike casual English usage where 'butter' sometimes loosely covers both.

Examples

"Untó el pan con margarina."

Natural Translation

She spread margarine on the bread.

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