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al dente

[ al den-tey, -tee; Italian ahl den-te ]
/ æl ˈdɛn teɪ, -ti; Italian ɑl ˈdɛn tɛ /
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adjective, adverb
(especially of pasta) cooked so as not to be too soft; firm to the bite: spaghetti al dente.
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Origin of al dente

1945–50; Italian: literally, to the tooth
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use al dente in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for al dente

al dente
/ Italian (al ˈdɛnte) /

adjective
(of a pasta dish) cooked so as to be firm when eaten

Word Origin for al dente

literally: to the tooth
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
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