NYT Dictionary

MORNAY

/ˈmoʊrneɪ/
AdjectiveMOR-naymor-nay · 2 syllablesCollege

Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025

Meaning

Served with a white sauce containing cheese.

Etymology

Origin: French

Debated. Named after the French commune Mornay, or perhaps after Philippe, duc de Mornay (1549–1623), Governor of Saumur and seigneur du Plessis-Marly, writer and diplomat; but Béchamel sauces had not yet been developed in his lifetime.

NYT Puzzle Appearances

No published puzzle dates on file for this word yet. It is part of the official NYT Spelling Bee word list for 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025.

Join the Spelling Bee Community

Get solving strategies, rare word lists, and puzzle tips in your inbox every week.