ghee
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of ghee
First recorded in 1655–65, ghee is from the Hindi word ghī
Explanation
Ghee is butter that's been melted and allowed to separate, leaving just the clear butterfat. If you've ever dined on Indian food, you've probably eaten ghee. When butter is clarified, it's simmered until any water evaporates and all the extra solid particles of milk sink to the bottom or float on top. Once these are skimmed off, what's left behind is ghee. In South Asian cuisines, ghee is a common fat used in many dishes. It also holds an important place in some Hindu rituals, as cows, and products made from their milk, are considered sacred.
Vocabulary lists containing ghee
South Asia - Introductory
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South Asia - Middle School and High School
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Selection Vocabulary 3, Unit 5
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“There’s certainly enthusiasm around what is transformative technology,” said Tony Ghee, head of equity investments in the chief investment office of Bank of America, in a phone interview Tuesday.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026
A table away sat another Broadway star, J. Harrison Ghee.
From Seattle Times • May 7, 2024
As it happens, outness was a big theme, with J. Harrison Ghee and Alex Newell becoming the first openly nonbinary performers to win Tonys in acting categories.
From New York Times • Jun. 12, 2023
“My mother raised me to understand that my gifts that God gave me were not about me,” Ghee said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2023
Ghee, gē, n. an Indian clarified butter, generally prepared from buffaloes' milk.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M) by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.