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pancetta

American  
[pan-chet-uh] / pænˈtʃɛt ə /

noun

  1. Italian pork belly cured with salt, pepper, and other spices and air-dried up to four months, tightly rolled in a cylinder.

pancetta British  
/ panˈtʃetta, pænˈtʃɛtə /

noun

  1. a lightly spiced cured bacon from Italy

"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 pancetta

First recorded in 1950–55; from Italian: literally, “little belly,” diminutive of pancia “belly, paunch,” from Latin pantic- (stem of pantex ) “belly, paunch, guts” + -etta diminutive suffix ( -ette ( def. ) )

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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.

The balsamic adds a rich, almost fruity, flavor that helps cut the fattiness of the pancetta and the earthiness of the sprouts.

From Salon • Nov. 26, 2025

The sprouts are more like the main event than a side when generously embellished the way these are, with creamy béchamel, Parmesan and pancetta.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 15, 2025

Pi00a isn’t a restaurant but pops up all over Los Angeles and beyond, baking puffy-edged, char-crusted pizza pies with toppings such as miso eggplant; soppressata with chili crunch; Hainan chicken; and Asian pear with pancetta.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 3, 2024

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon pancetta fat from the skillet, then return it to medium heat.

From Washington Times • Dec. 22, 2023

I could go to the farmer’s market on the Broad; I could buy venison and pancetta and spend the day cooking.

From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins

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.