lozenge

A lozenge is a term with multiple meanings. In medicine and confectionery, a lozenge refers to a small, flavored tablet designed to dissolve slowly in the mouth, delivering soothing or medicinal effects for the throat or cough. In geometry and heraldry, a lozenge is a diamond-shaped figure, specifically a rhombus, used as a basic geometric shape and as a heraldic charge. The word originates from the French lozenge, itself from Italian losanga, referring to the diamond-like shape.

Medicinal lozenges are formulated to release their active ingredients as they dissolve. Common ingredients include menthol or eucalyptus for cooling sensation, local anesthetics such as benzocaine, or cough suppressants and antiseptics. They may be sugar-based or sugar-free, with sweeteners like xylitol or sorbitol. Lozenge care instructions emphasize slow dissolution in the mouth rather than chewing or swallowing whole. They should be used with caution in children due to choking risk, and people with diabetes or dietary restrictions should consider sugar-free varieties. Excessive use of polyol-based sugar substitutes can have laxative effects.

In geometry, a lozenge is a four-sided figure with equal sides and opposite angles equal, typically described as a rhombus. In heraldry, a lozenge is a diamond-shaped charge used on coats of arms, and patterns featuring many such shapes are described as lozengy. The term also appears in tiling and combinatorics as the lozenge tiling, a model for arranging rhombic units.