calzone

American  

[kal-zoh-nay, -nee, -zohn, kahl-zaw-ne] / kælˈzoʊ neɪ, -ni, -ˈzoʊn, kɑlˈzɔ nɛ /

noun

Italian Cooking.

• calzones
  plural

1. a turnover made of pizza dough, usually containing cheese, prosciutto, and herbs or garlic and either baked or fried.

---

calzone British  

/ kælˈtsəʊnɪ /

noun

1. a dish of Italian origin consisting of pizza dough folded over a filling of cheese and tomatoes, herbs, ham, etc

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• calzones
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of calzone

1945–50; < Italian: literally, trouser leg ( calzoni (plural) trousers), masculine augmentative of calza stocking < Vulgar Latin *calcea, for Latin calceus shoe, derivative of calx heel

---

Explanation

A calzone is a savory Italian turnover that's essentially a small, portable pizza, with the cheese baked inside a piece of folded dough. The sauce is usually served on the side. In Italian, calzone means "trouser leg," and this traditional stuffed bread originally had a longer, more leg-like shape. Today, that better describes a stromboli, while a calzone is usually made by rolling pizza dough into a circle, filling it with meat and cheese, and folding it over. If you've never tried one, you should! You're in for a hot, cheesy, and portable treat.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

calzone calzones

“It’s not a sandwich experience. It’s not a calzone experience. It’s a pizza experience,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

The week before she died, Lim cooked for her colleagues almost every day, and threw a baby shower for Sharma, complete with chicken calzone and blueberry cake.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2021

Could you cram a calzone with broccoli and Cheddar?

From New York Times ● Aug. 31, 2020

You could have it as a kind of quick bread/wrap situation because it is thin and pliable, or you can fold it over for a big green calzone.

From Fox News ● Jul. 23, 2020

Jinx spotted Ned and handed him a calzone.

From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool

“Hot dogs, burritos, tacos, calzones too, of course. If they’re all sandwiches, then the senator has nothing to worry about,” Mr. Lincicome wrote on X.

From Washington Times ● Nov. 28, 2023

Joyner looked around the new space — with its gleaming subway tile, grilled chicken, espresso machines, calzones, people scooping ice cream, bowls of shiny colorful peppers displayed on counters — and smiled.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 8, 2022

In addition to making pizzas, the dough can be used to make mini pizza rolls, calzones and even breadsticks.

From Salon ● Oct. 18, 2022

Despite its name, the menu covers a lot of ground, with grinders, pastas and calzones.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 15, 2022

This figure was clad in a suit of unbleached cotton, much too long and slender for it, and the arms of the camisa, and the legs of the calzones hung limp.

From In Indian Mexico (1908) by Frederick Starr

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---