gelato
Americannoun
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gelati,
plural
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gelatos
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of gelato
First recorded in 1930–35; from Italian: literally “frozen,” noun use of past participle of gelare “to freeze,” from Latin gelāre
Explanation
Gelato is a dense, rich Italian ice cream. In the summertime, gelato is an especially delicious frozen treat. In Italian, gelato means "to freeze." Just like ice cream, gelato is made by combining and freezing cream, milk, flavoring, and sugar. Gelato has less butterfat and less air mixed into it than ice cream, and it's served at a warmer temperature. These things give gelato a depth of flavor that ice cream doesn't quite have. Try ordering some traditional gelato flavors like nocciola (hazelnut) or castagna (chestnut) the next time you're at a gelateria!
Vocabulary lists containing gelato
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.
See Examples For:
"It's really taken off like wildfire," he said as a batch of powder was slowly stirred into gelato, turning it a bright purple.
From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026
Elsewhere, chain gelato brand Snowflake makes a sweetcorn-flavoured "Snow Cob", while more mainstream, high-end supermarkets and chocolate brands are selling corn kernels covered in chocolate.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
The best part: Instead of chain-hotel dining, I had pizza and gelato on the promenade for dinner, sunset drinks at a rooftop bar and ran along the water the next morning.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Monte started a private business 25 years ago using his Italian roots — gelato, a frozen dessert.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 22, 2026
The waiter came offering dessert: crème brûlée, mango and chocolate sorbet, or strawberry saffron and sweet-corn vanilla gelato.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
In between savory courses, Bulgarini’s obsession with flavor pairings reveals itself in a curious parade of wine-splashed gelati.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2019
For dessert at Misi, there is only gelati, the pasta of dolci, six different flavors, including a wonderfully powerful espresso.
From The New Yorker ● Nov. 23, 2018
Little Pearl is expected to open with six of Janusz's gelati, including tiramisu, pretzel, toasted rice, Thai iced tea and a vegan offering made with cashew butter.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 7, 2017
The hazelnut and vanilla gelati were splendid, as were the lemon and blood orange sorbetti.
From New York Times ● Apr. 14, 2012
The musicians were concealed in the “snuggery,” playing airs from favorite operas, while waiters from Doney’s served gelati and paste and champagne at little tables scattered throughout the garden.
From The Spell by William Dana Orcutt
“But Olivia got gelatos all day long,” my older son replied, and I reminded him that Olivia also drew Jackson Pollock imitations on her bedroom wall and I didn’t let him do that either.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 10, 2023
It’s a bracing, even exhilarating change from the usual creamy, dense chocolates or gelatos that litter most restaurant dessert menus.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 18, 2022
Additionally, ice cream or gelatos made with homemade cookie dough or brownies, for example, will likely drive the price up because they're labor-intensive and therefore, expensive to produce.
From Salon ● Mar. 2, 2022
Fuelled by two giant gelatos we're well over the two-hour mark into an interview for the BBC TV documentary Free Spirits.
From BBC ● Jan. 31, 2022
According to Dr. Luce, the gene first appeared in my bloodline sometime around 1750, in the body of one Penelope Evan- gelatos, my great-grandmother to the ninth power.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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