any of various unleavened, usually whole wheat flatbreads common in South and Southeast Asia and the Caribbean.
(in the Caribbean) flatbread wrapped around a filling of usually curried meat, fish, shellfish, or vegetables.
First recorded in 1830–40; from Hindi, Urdu roṭī “bread,” from Prakrit roṭṭa “rice flour”
A roti is a South Asian flatbread made with whole wheat flour. The next time you order your favorite dishes from an Indian restaurant, get some roti too! In India, a roti is also known as a chapati. These tasty round breads are cooked on a flat grill or in a Tandoor oven, and they're often used to scoop up curries and vegetable dishes. Many other cuisines have a variation on the basic roti. In many Caribbean countries, the word can also refer to a popular sandwich made by wrapping a roti around a savory filling. Roti comes from the Sanskrit word roṭikā, or "bread."
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Between checkpoints she would snack on cashews and almonds and then at the end of that day's marathon she would have curry, rice, eggs and roti, as well as crisps and chocolate for extra calories.
From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026
Dinner at Kabawa in New York’s East Village begins with “buss-up shut,” a flaky Trinidadian flatbread derived from Indian paratha roti.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026
At Laut, chef Yup serves classic dishes like nasi lemak, rendang beef, asam laksa and roti canai.
From Salon • Nov. 15, 2025
This chicken was wonderful tucked into a piece of roti with a piece of crunchy cucumber, and smothered in panang curry sauce — all of which come served alongside the dish.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 16, 2022
We have almost used up our roti and dal, but we still have the dry rice, peas, and lentils.
From "The Night Diary" by Veera Hiranandani
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.
