alphenic

A1L1P3H4E1N1I1C3

noun

White barley sugar

OriginFrench alphénic ← Spanish alfeñique ← Arabic فَانِيد →
Scrabble 15
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Meanings

nounalphenic (countable and uncountable, plural alphenics)

plural alphenics

  1. countablerareuncountableWhite barley sugar

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

    1980, Tien-kung-kai-wu, page 189
    2 more examples

    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!

    1881, I.M.L.W., The bag of gold

    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.

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

Origin

  1. Persianپانید“sugar candy”
  2. Arabicفَانِيد
  3. Spanishalfeñique
  4. Frenchalphénic
  5. Englishalphenic

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

More words from French, Spanish, Arabic

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

cephalinchalepin
Cite this entry
APA

alphenic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alphenic

MLA

“alphenic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alphenic. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “alphenic,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alphenic.

Source: alphenic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.