kebab

American  

[kuh-bob] / kəˈbɒb /

Also kebob, or kabob

noun

• kebabs
  plural

1. Usually kebabs small pieces of meat or seafood seasoned or marinated and broiled, often with tomatoes, green peppers, onions, or other vegetables, usually on a skewer.

2. (in Indian English use) roast meat.

3. Digital Technology. kebab menu.

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kebab British  

/ kəˈbæb /

noun

1. Also called: shish kebab.   kabob.   cabob.  a dish consisting of small pieces of meat, tomatoes, onions, etc, threaded onto skewers and grilled, generally over charcoal

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• kebabs
  plural

Etymology

Origin of kebab

First recorded in 1665–75; from Arabic, from Hindi kabāb, from Turkish kebap “roast meat”

Explanation

A kebab is a dish of vegetables, meat, or seafood cut into pieces, skewered, and cooked on a grill. On the first day of summer, your family might like to cook kebabs and have all the neighbors over. In the U.S., a kebab is generally understood to be a shish kebab — marinated cubes of meat alternating with chunks of onion, green pepper, or other veggies on a long skewer and cooked over a fire. English speakers outside of North America are more familiar with the doner kebab, a sandwich similar to a gyro or shawarma, with sliced meat served in a flatbread. The Arabic root word, kabāb, means "roasted meat."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

kebab kebabs

Those giant kebab sticks were then labelled to suggest they were made with between 50% to 90% lamb, depending on the recipe.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

The family-run Al-Mazaq not only serves top-tier dolmas and kebab, but also hand-stretched Iraqi bread.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026

Hours later, as night turned to day, players were filmed in a takeaway, with Ollie Pope gazing at his kebab like he had never seen anything so beautiful.

From BBC ● Mar. 20, 2026

Swifties also flock to a kebab shop where she filmed part of the End Game music video in 2016.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 5, 2026

Vivi gestures with a kebab of glistening fruit, making Princess Rhyia laugh.

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black

The diplomats from Big Ranch have spent the past few weeks traveling around the continent, slathering it on escargot, quiches, croque monsieurs, kebabs, fish and chips, pierogies and raclette—or ranchclette.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

STK’s thick, well-marbled filet mignon is perfect for kebabs with little more than salt and freshly cracked pepper.

From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026

In the classroom, trainees crowded around instructor Luo Duocheng as he demonstrated slicing a slab of beef, marinating it, and skewering the meat to form identical kebabs.

From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026

Speaking to Sky News, external, he said reasons for running included to "rephase the traffic lights on Liverpool road", "price cap Wigan kebabs at £2" and "build at least one affordable house".

From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026

I arranged the kebabs on a platter and sprinkled them with chopped cilantro like I did at home.

From "Amal Unbound" by Aisha Saeed