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fusilli

American  
[fyoo-see-lee, -sil-ee] / fyuˈsi li, -ˈsɪl i /

noun

(used with a singular or plural verb)
  1. a type of pasta twisted into corkscrew or spiral shapes.


fusilli British  
/ fjʊˈziːlɪ, fʊˈziːlɪ /

noun

  1. pasta in the form of short spirals

"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

Etymology

Origin of fusilli

First recorded in 1925–30; from southern Italian dialect, plural of fusillo “little spindle,” diminutive of fuso, from Latin fūsus “spindle”; cf. fuse 1 ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

CAMPOBASSO, Italy—Your favorite Italian-origin fusilli and macaroni are poised to disappear from U.S. supermarket shelves.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 10, 2025

While spaghetti and bucatini are both traditional, I tend to delight in something short and curly — fusilli, orecchiette, shells — shapes that can scoop and cradle.

From Salon • Jun. 9, 2025

Find some fusilli My husband and I don’t really eat in the morning so by now we’d probably be super hungry.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 28, 2025

The dinner menu includes family recipes, like Nonna’s genovese ragù with fusilli grosso, and popular Italian fare like meatballs, fried artichokes, Caesar salad, spaghetti with clams, eggplant parm and chicken Milanese.

From New York Times • May 10, 2022

Variation: Chicken Minestrone Add 1 cup chopped stewed tomatoes in their juice and 2 cups cooked, drained fusilli or other pasta and 1/2-cup cooked kidney beans when adding zucchini and potatoes.

From The Perdue Chicken Cookbook by Perdue, Mitzi