a fiber obtained from plants of the genera Agave, Aechmea, etc., used for cordage, mats, etc.
any of these plants.
any of several agave plants yielding a strong fibre See also istle
a species of pineapple, Ananas magdalenae, the leaves of which yield a white fibre
Also called: pita fibre. the fibre obtained from any of these plants, used in making cordage and paper
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”
First recorded in 1690–1700; from Latin American Spanish, from Quechua pita or Aymara p’ita
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.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He said the pita sandwich remains the restaurant’s top-selling item.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
The menu centers on ultra-creamy hummus bowls served with pillowy pita puffs and topped with everything from falafel to Wagyu shawarma.
From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2026
Mediterranean chain Cava aims to keep growing by serving harissa honey chicken and pita chips while more burger-centric rivals have struggled.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 14, 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
“You’re going to love today’s recipe. Garlic naan. It’s like pita without the pocket.”
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
It doesn't take an insurance exec, hospital admin, legislator, or physician to tell me why, or what to do about this PITA.
From New York Times ● Jan. 17, 2017
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.
