halvah

American  

[hahl-vah, hahl-vah] / hɑlˈvɑ, ˈhɑl vɑ /

Also halva

noun

1. a sweet, candylike confection of Turkish origin, consisting chiefly of ground sesame seeds and honey.

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halvah British  

/ ˈhæləvɑː, ˈhælvɑː /

noun

1. an Eastern Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, or Indian sweetmeat made of honey and containing sesame seeds, nuts, rose water, saffron, etc

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Etymology

Origin of halvah

1840–50; < Yiddish halva < Romanian < Turkish helva < Arabic ḥalwā sweet confection

Example Sentences

The scent of jasmine blooms on a warm evening, the smell of fresh baked pandesal at the local Filipino bakery and the richness of halvah and spices at the Armenian corner store.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2025

In Israel, jelly doughnuts for Hanukkah are especially popular and are sometimes filled with chocolate or halvah.

From Washington Times • Dec. 12, 2023

Shredded halvah is so lovely on top but may prove elusive.

From Washington Post • Mar. 24, 2023

Rabbi Bentziyon Pil’s storefront synagogue is easy to miss, just a corner shop with boxes of halvah stacked in the window.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 28, 2023

The dark pantry, full of figs, almonds, walnuts, halvah, and dried apricots, made her feel better, too.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides