maki

American  

[mah-kee] / ˈmɑ ki /

Sometimes maki-zushi

noun

Japanese Cooking.

1. cold boiled rice moistened with rice vinegar, formed around strips of vegetable or raw fish into a cylindrical seaweed-wrapped roll that is sliced into bite-size pieces.

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maki British  

/ ˈmækɪ /

noun

1. (in Japanese cuisine) a small segment cut from a long roll of cold rice and various other ingredients wrapped in a sheet of seaweed

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Etymology

Origin of maki

First recorded in 1910–15; from Japanese maki-zushi, literally, “rolled sushi”; from maki-, combining form of maku “to roll, roll up” ( makimono ( def. ) ) + -zushi, combining form of sushi ( def. )

Compare meaning

How does maki compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• maki vs. sushi

Example Sentences

The maki rolls are flavorful, the crudo bright and refreshing, and there are plenty of vegetable-forward dishes as well, like tempura eggplant and kombu carrots.

From Salon • Feb. 2, 2026

These days, Dave is no longer misusing pit boards or feeding maki rolls to the fastest drivers in the world.

From BBC • Dec. 28, 2023

Emma, 10, one half of that maki roll, said, “I learned that we could pretend to be anything, even a piece of sushi.”

From New York Times • Aug. 4, 2023

Specials: $5 maki rolls and small plates, $4 beers.

From Washington Post • Mar. 24, 2022

The waitress came then, interrupting with a rectangular plate of California maki and smoked salmon negiri.

From "An Abundance of Katherines" by John Green