kebab

American  

[kuh-bob] / kəˈbɒb /

Also kebob, or kabob

noun

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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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

At a decades-old Iranian restaurant in Dubai, Al Ustad Special Kebab, owner Majeed Ansari said he understands the U.A.E. government’s tightening restrictions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

In East Ham, the jury was told the couple went to a German Doner Kebab restaurant, and Mr Gordon went off to buy a buggy suitable for a toddler.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2024

The Tandoori Kebab Sampler is a divine melding of flavors.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 8, 2022

Kebab sandwiches have pickled turnips, roasted cauliflower and grilled beef or chicken thighs piled high atop warm, freshly made flatbread.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 18, 2018

Another is painted in red, white, and blue stripes with La Casita written across the side, and a third has Kebab Express in green block letters.

From "The Sky at Our Feet" by Nadia Hashimi