mezzaluna

American  

[met-suh-loo-nuh] / ˌmɛt səˈlu nə /

noun

1. a crescent-shaped, single- or double-bladed chopping knife, with a handle on each end or a connecting handle.

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Etymology

Origin of mezzaluna

First recorded in 1950–55; from Italian: literally, “half-moon, crescent”; see origin at mid ¹ ( def. ), lunula ( def. )

Example Sentences

If District Rico wanted to open a shop dedicated just to salads featuring its star bird — like a Peruvian Chopt, where a meat cleaver replaces the mezzaluna — I’d be all in.

From Washington Post • Jul. 18, 2022

The ceaseless chop of the curved two-handled blade known as a mezzaluna provides the background music for lunch in Manhattan these days.

From New York Times • Jul. 16, 2013

Or they can turn left, to be seated by a hostess in a full-service restaurant with a menu featuring entrees like chicken mezzaluna with asparagus in white wine sauce.

From New York Times • Dec. 5, 2010

Pizza by the slice, $2.50 to $4.25; whole pizza, $13.95 to $24.95; chicken mezzaluna, $17.95; Gorgonzola salad, $8.95 small, $10.95 large.

From New York Times • Dec. 5, 2010