Mousse

Mousse

Noun · /muːs/

Definition

A light, airy dessert or savoury dish made with whipped cream or egg whites; a hair product with a foam consistency used to style or add volume to hair.

Origin

From French mousse (foam, froth, moss), from Old French mosse/musse (moss, froth), from Frankish *mosa (moss), from Proto-Germanic *musą. The French mousse meaning both moss and foam/froth reflects the visual resemblance — both being soft, airy, and textured. The culinary mousse appearing in French cuisine from the 18th century, with chocolate mousse becoming particularly celebrated. The hair mousse product being developed in the 1980s and using the same foam/froth etymology.