Märch'pāne, n.

n. [It. marzapane, Sp. mazapan, Fr. massepain, N. Lat. marcipanis, panis martius, probably from Lat. maza, Gr. μᾶζα, frumenty, a barley-cake, from μάσσω, to knead, and Lat. panis, bread; but perhaps, also, the first part of the word contains the name of the inventor.] A kind of sweet bread or biscuit; spice cakes of sugar, nuts, poppy seeds, and Indian corn. Mayne. Sidney.