adobo

[ uh-doh-boh ]

/ əˈdoʊ boʊ /

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noun, plural a·do·bos.

a Filipino dish of pork or chicken stewed in a marinade of vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, herbs, and spices; the national dish of the Philippines: The pork adobo we had in Manila may be the best meal I’ve ever had.

a Latin American dish of meat or fish prepared in a pastelike marinade of chiles, cinnamon and other spices, garlic, herbs, and vinegar: My Mexican brother-in-law makes an awesome adobo with fresh-caught trout.

the concoction of flavorful ingredients in which the meat or fish of adobo is cooked: The adobo for tonight’s chicken features Saigon cinnamon and a homemade cider vinegar.

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Origin of adobo

First recorded in 1935–40; from Spanish, literally “marinade, marinated meat, pickle,” from adobar “to marinate, pickle,” probably from Old French adober “to prepare, equip (a knight)”; see daube, dub¹

Words nearby adobo

adnominal, adnoun, ado, adobe, adobe flat, adobo, Ado-Ekiti, A dog is a man's best friend, adolescence, adolescent, Adolf

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use adobo in a sentence

Aromatic roasted chicken with homemade adobo is an updated take on a classic mealRecipes for the dish vary from family to family, and different preferences sometimes arise even among members of households.
Apples make this Puerto Rican potato salad a savory, sweet and polarizing side dish|Aaron Hutcherson|July 14, 2021|Washington Post
Massage the adobo into the meat until well coated on all sides.
A pernil-style pork tenderloin that conjures the smells of a Puerto Rican kitchen|Daniela Galarza|April 8, 2021|Washington Post
After rubbing it with a simple adobo of garlic, lime juice and spices, I roasted it in a hot oven until it was just cooked through, but still juicy and tender.
A pernil-style pork tenderloin that conjures the smells of a Puerto Rican kitchen|Daniela Galarza|April 8, 2021|Washington Post
Each day the team receives a beef shoulder that gets rubbed down with an adobo marinade, garlic and other other spices, and left to marinate for at least 24 hours.
How One of Oakland’s Best Food Trucks Makes Quesabirria Tacos|Eater Video|March 11, 2021|Eater

Using your hands, spread the adobo mixture under the skin and then all over chicken.
Aromatic roasted chicken with homemade adobo is an updated take on a classic meal|Christian Vazquez|January 15, 2021|Washington Post
Lean turkey meat finds new life in the deep, smoky flavors of chipotle in adobo.
5 Metabolism Myths Debunked|Sarah Whitman-Salkin|August 25, 2009|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for adobo

adobo

/ (əˈdəʊbəʊ) /

noun plural -bos

the national dish of the Philippines, which consists of chunks of meat, fish, or vegetables, marinated in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and spices and then stewed in the marinade

Word Origin for adobo

C20: from Spanish

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012