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jalebi

American  
[juh-lee-bee, -ley-, -leb-ee] / dʒəˈli bi, -ˈleɪ-, -ˈlɛb i /
Also jilebi,

noun

  1. a dessert popular in South and Central Asia, consisting of spirals of batter that are deep-fried and soaked in sugar syrup.


Etymology

Origin of jalebi

First recorded in 1865–70; from Hindi or Urdu jalebī, ultimately from Persian zalābīya “fried doughnut”

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.

See Examples For:

Tentative plans to pick up some jalebi, a deep-fried sweet snack, go out the window, but I do stop into Quality Foods, a supermarket with subcontinental treats, to pick up some spices.

From Washington Post Jun. 17, 2022

One scene in the movie features Saroo having a flashback, triggered by a plate of jalebi, a fried-dough treat from his childhood that Brierley says his family could rarely afford.

From Washington Post Dec. 2, 2016

One recent evening, the victim and her parents sat in the front room of their modest concrete house in a lower-class neighborhood of Lucknow, sipping gingery tea and nibbling hot jalebi sweets.

From Washington Post Aug. 15, 2016

The intoxicating smell of freshly fried jalebi pastry lingers in the air, and, sometimes, Somali songs can be heard in the distance.

From Slate Oct. 31, 2014

At the food kiosks in the lobby, patrons lined up for jalebi, aloo vada and samosa chole.

From Time Magazine Archive

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