shawarma

American  

[shuh-wawr-muh] / ʃəˈwɔr mə /

Also shwarma

noun

1. (in Middle Eastern cuisine)

   1. roasted meat, as lamb or beef, cooked on a spit.

   2. a dish consisting of this meat, served wrapped in pita bread with tahini or hummus.

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Etymology

Origin of shawarma

1950–55; < Levantine Arabic shāwurma, shāwirma, from Turkish çevirme “turn, rotation, meat roasted on a spit,” from çevirmek “to turn, rotate”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

shawarma

He and his friends lost time eating a midnight shawarma near the station entrance.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026

The chicken shawarma I tried was juicy and tender, with a taste and texture that were basically indistinguishable from the real thing.

From Salon ● Jan. 30, 2025

“I know my house is bombed, but I don’t care. We’re all going back,” said Haidar, 33, who was picking up shawarma sandwiches for his family at a roadside restaurant.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 27, 2024

The smell of cardamom-infused coffee and shawarma and falafel, and hum of friends catching up, stand in stark contrast to the images on the television screens.

From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2024

And I'm not just talking about the onions in the pan or the shawarma turning on the skewer, but the crowd.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda