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pad thai

American  
[paht tahy, pad] / ˈpɑt ˈtaɪ, ˈpæd /

noun

Cooking.
  1. a Thai dish of stir-fried rice noodles, fish sauce and other seasonings, and usually tofu, shrimp, bean sprouts, and peanuts.


Etymology

Origin of pad thai

First recorded in 1975-80; from Thai phàtthai, equivalent to phàt “stir-fry, stir-fried, stir-fried food” + tai, thai “Thai”

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.

He would sit by the lake watching the sunset, and one stormy evening - while eating takeaway Pad Thai - decided it would make a "funny, sad" self-portrait.

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026

I downloaded Atlas and asked it to order Pad Thai on Uber Eats from my favorite local Thai restaurant.

From Barron's • Oct. 22, 2025

Stick with dried rice noodles for gluten-free Pad Thai.

From Salon • Oct. 24, 2021

Pad Thai or orange chicken are must haves, but Tangie goes well with almost all Asian dishes.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 1, 2021

Think Latino arepas, Korean bibimbap and boolgogi, Middle Eastern falafel, Ethiopian injera and spicy lentils, Indian chicken tiki masala, Pad Thai and Japanese teppanyaki.

From New York Times • Apr. 24, 2010

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