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mortadella

American

[mawr-tuh-del-uh] / ˌmɔr təˈdɛl ə /

noun

a large Italian sausage of pork, beef, and pork fat chopped fine, seasoned with garlic and pepper, cooked, and smoked.

Etymology

Origin of mortadella

1605–15; < Italian < Latin murtāt ( um ) sausage seasoned with myrtle ( murt ( um ) myrtle-berry + -ātum, neuter of -ātus -ate ¹ ) + -ella diminutive suffix

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.

Roast turkey and mortadella, vegan salami and imitation tuna salad.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 10, 2025

“Our Christmas dinner was some mortadella, butter and tomato, with a tortilla.”

From Seattle Times • Dec. 25, 2023

Favorite grinder meats in our house include sopresetta, ham, prosciutto, mortadella and various types of salami.

From Washington Times • Sep. 21, 2023

Traditionally, a muffaletta has Genoa salami, ham and/or mortadella, an Italian luncheon meat made from pork sausage.

From Salon • Jul. 13, 2023

There is mortadella, the enormous Bologna sausage, thick as a church pillar: 16 francs: and there are various sorts of smaller sausage, salami, to be eaten in slices.

From Sea and Sardinia by Lawrence, D. H. (David Herbert)

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023