cordon bleu

Borrowed from French cordon bleu (“blue ribbon”). The blue ribbon was originally a French insignia indicating chivalry.

cordon bleu

1. A skillful chef.
2. An award given to such chefs.
3. Thin slices of veal, ham and cheese breaded and sautéed; somewhat like a wiener schnitzel, or Viennese cutlet.
4. Alternative form of cordon-bleu (“bird of the genus Uraeginthus”)
   • 2013, S. Mark Henry, Symbiosis: Associations of Invertebrates, Birds, Ruminants, and Other Biota, page 304:

     A considerable number of species of birds build their nests in close proximity to, or even inside of, nests of aggressive, stinging insects—bees, wasps, and ants. Thus, in eastern Africa, Loveridge (1922) found in the case of a little weaver, the cordon bleu, Uraeginthus angolensis (Linnaeus), that in 19 out of 20 instances the birds built their nests ...

   • 2014, Agustín González, Fernando Martinez-Garcia, Luis Puelles, Hans J Ten Donkelaar, Adaptive Function and Brain Evolution, page 216:

     Other Uraeginthus species are much more social; e.g., the Angolan blue waxbill (or blue-breasted cordon bleu, U. angolensis) tends to breed in a semi-colonial manner, with each pair occupying a clump of bushes (Skead, 1975; Goodwin, 1982).

• chicken cordon bleu

• (food dish): Cordon bleu (dish) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

• IPA^(key): /kɔʁ.dɔ̃ blø/

cordon bleu m (plural cordons bleus)

1. a blue ribbon
2. a skilful chef
3. a cordon bleu (the meal)