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pasta

American  
[pah-stuh, pas-tuh] / ˈpɑ stə, ˈpæs tə /

noun

  1. any of various flour-and-egg food preparations of Italian origin, made of thin, unleavened dough and produced in a variety of forms, usually served with a sauce and sometimes stuffed.

pasta British  
/ ˈpæstə /

noun

  1. any of several variously shaped edible preparations made from a flour and water dough, such as spaghetti

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of pasta

1870–75; < Italian < Late Latin. See paste

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.

My freezer has become a small parking lot of deli tubs filled with extra pasta sauces and sides from New Year’s.

From Salon • Mar. 19, 2026

Despite overall challenges, the company is upbeat about its “leadership brands” like Rao’s pasta sauce, which was acquired in 2024.

From Barron's • Mar. 10, 2026

“Emma, I’m worried about something,” she said, warily eyeing my pasta bolognese.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

Debbie said she used to get bread and pasta on prescription but "they weren't great, so we now just buy them ourselves".

From BBC • Feb. 23, 2026

With parmesan cheese on the pasta, that was all you needed and you could eat three bowls and still crave more.

From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.