Definition 1: Any sweet food or sweetened medicinal preparation; a piece of fine craftsmanship.

Usage 1: The verb "confect" still means "to prepare by mixing ingredients," so the noun may refer to anything concocted of several ingredients or the process of concocting itself. But "confectionery shops" now are establishments where only sweetmeats ("meat" originally meant "food") are sold, though it more often referred to apothecary shops in the 17th century. A "confectioner" is now someone who prepares confectioneries or sweetmeats.

Suggested usage: "Her gown was a lavish confection of lace and taffeta, a pure confectionery for the eyes," works with both meanings of the word, either a concoction or an appealing millinery sweet. "The main course was a Caucasian confection of goat meat struggling against vegetation that grows only on the crags of the Caucasus. Dessert was an odd sweet confection from the shop around the corner."

Etymology: This is an excellent example of "semantic narrowing," a change in meaning from broad to narrow. "Confection" derives from the verb confect which means "to put together, prepare" from a participle of Latin con- "with, together" + ficere "do, make." Confection originally meant "mixing, putting together, preparation" or anything so contrived. Later its meaning became restricted only to the preparation of sweet foods and the results of such preparation. (We extend our gratitude to Roy Pittman for suggesting we confect today's article on "confection.")