bacalao

American  

[bah-kuh-lou, bak-uh-, bah-kah-lah-aw] / ˌbɑ kəˈlaʊ, ˌbæk ə-, ˌbɑ kɑˈlɑ ɔ /

noun

Spanish or Spanish-American Cooking.

bacalaos plural

1. codfish, especially when dried and salted.

2. a dish of this, cooked with a tomato sauce, olives, garlic, etc.

---

Etymology

Origin of bacalao

First recorded in 1545–55; from Spanish bacal(l)ao, probably from Basque bakaiļao, perhaps, by metathesis, from Gascon, the presumed source of Old French cabellau, cabillau ( French cabillaud ) “fresh codfish,” equivalent to Gascon cabilh, cabelh (diminutive of cap “head”) + a suffix, alluding to the fish's prominent head; though Medieval Latin (Flanders) cabellauwus, the earliest attestation of the form (compare Middle Dutch cab(b)eliau, Dutch kabeljauw ) suggests a non-Romance, northern European origin; see chief

Example Sentences

But they jumped when, after plates of bacalao and glasses of white wine had been cleared, Ms. Mendieta checked her phone and exclaimed, “Oh my god!”

From New York Times • Mar. 2, 2024

“Beñat makes traditional plates with modern touches, working with local products like mushrooms, bacalao and ‘teardrop’ spring peas,” said Mr. Garrido.

From New York Times • Jul. 19, 2022

And tempura de bacalao will be an acquired taste for some.

From Washington Post • Feb. 27, 2020

Having grown up around fishermen, Bugge says bacalao cakes were among the first things he learned to make.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 21, 2017

That’s just how Mama is—she’s the heart of the neighborhood, pumping stewed chicken, banan pezé, sancocho, bacalao, pastelitos, and black rice to just about every single household on our block.

From "Pride" by Ibi Zoboi