pita

¹ American  

[pee-tuh] / ˈpi tə /

noun

1. a round Middle Eastern flatbread that is often filled with meat, peppers, etc., to make a sandwich.

---

pita ² American  

[pee-tuh] / ˈpi tə /

noun

1. a fiber obtained from plants of the genera Agave, Aechmea, etc., used for cordage, mats, etc.

2. any of these plants.

---

pita British  

/ ˈpiːtə /

noun

1. any of several agave plants yielding a strong fibre See also istle

2. a species of pineapple, Ananas magdalenae, the leaves of which yield a white fibre

3. Also called: pita fibre.  the fibre obtained from any of these plants, used in making cordage and paper

---

Etymology

Origin of pita¹

First recorded in 1935–40; from Modern Greek pḗtta, pítta, píta “bread, cake, pie”; further origin uncertain; perhaps from Greek peptós “cooked, baked”; perhaps from Modern Hebrew pittāh, pitāh, from Balkan Ladino pita “flat bread”; perhaps from Germanic, akin to Old High German bizzo, pizzo “bite, morsel”

Origin of pita²

First recorded in 1690–1700; from Latin American Spanish, from Quechua pita or Aymara p’ita

Explanation

Pita is a round, soft Middle Eastern flatbread. You can fill a pita with sandwich ingredients, or dip pieces of pita into hummus. Pita, made from wheat flour, is a staple in many cuisines, including Greek, Syrian, and Lebanese. It's usually cooked at high heat, often in a wood-fired oven, and it puffs up during baking. These puffy layers are what make pita form a "pocket" that can be stuffed with falafel or other tasty ingredients.

Example Sentences

Or a guest who stops at the neighborhood bakery for excellent pita instead of grabbing the plastic-bagged version from the grocery store on the way over.

From Salon • Mar. 15, 2026

Food is pitifully scarce, often no more than a single dry pita per person per day.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 6, 2025

For the final six months he says they were given only one meal a day which would often be just one and half pieces of pita bread.

From BBC • Oct. 3, 2025

Anderson has just about cleaned his plate of cucumber salad, pita and hummus, and I’m fixing to leave him to the joys of having his portrait taken.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 18, 2025

A sack of pita bread lay scattered on the ground.

From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye