ceviche
Americannoun
-
ceviches
plural
Usage
What is ceviche? Ceviche is an appetizer dish consisting of raw fish marinated in citrus juice and including ingredients like peppers, onions, and spices. Popular in South America, ceviche generally features chunked fish marinated in lime juice served with sliced white or red onions and chilies. Sea bass, tuna, and shrimp are common choices for the fish, while lemon or bitter orange juice may be used instead of lime. You may even find vegetarian ceviche, with vegetables like mushrooms or artichokes used instead of fish. As long as the base for the dish is served cold and features citrus curing, it could be referred to as a type of ceviche. Ceviche is also spelled seviche. Example: The restaurant offered Sofia and Carlos complementary scallop ceviche because it was their anniversary.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of ceviche
First recorded in 1950–55; from Latin American Spanish (Peru, Ecuador, etc.) cebiche, ceviche, seviche, possibly a derivative of Spanish cebo “fodder, fish pieces used for bait,” from Latin cibus “food”; possibly from Spanish Arabic assukkabāj, from Arabic sikbāj “meat cooked in vinegar,” from unrecorded Middle Persian sikbāg (equivalent to sik “vinegar”+ bāg “food, broth”)
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:
In Lima, we were treated to glistening bowls of ceviche and plates of tiradito, each more delicious than the last, and soup bowls piled high with the most vibrantly orange uni you’ve ever seen.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
For me, this is ideal weeknight cooking: A tostada piled high with ceviche tastes like vacation even when you’re eating it on a Tuesday.
From Salon ● Jun. 9, 2026
The beauty of these ingredients is that they don’t require the long citrus soak associated with traditional ceviche.
From Salon ● Jun. 9, 2026
Over candy and ceviche three years later, Hoza says it feels like “our lives started over again.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 11, 2025
He nearly spilled his ceviche all over himself.
From "The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora" by Pablo Cartaya
The mixed seafood ceviches tend to be baroque but pleasurable in their sauciness.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 25, 2019
Among the handful of ceviches is a Peruvian-Japanese preparation created by Galindo, who once worked for Jean-Georges Vongerichten, a chef famous for his embrace of the Asian pantry.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 15, 2018
It was accompanied, as are all Ecuadorean ceviches, by plantain and yuca chips and, best of all, popcorn.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2018
By contrast, Ecuadorean fish ceviches are milder, more fully cooked in lime and sometimes served with white rice.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2018
Tacos, ceviches and other Mexican staples are on the menu.
From New York Times ● Jun. 5, 2018
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