sushi

American  

[soo-shee] / ˈsu ʃi /

noun

Japanese Cooking.

1. cold boiled rice moistened with rice vinegar, usually shaped into bite-size pieces and topped with raw seafood (nigiri ), formed around strips of vegetable or raw fish into a cylindrical seaweed-wrapped roll that is sliced into bite-size pieces (maki ), or wrapped together with strips of vegetable or raw fish in a sheet of dried seaweed and rolled into a cone shape (temaki ).

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sushi British  

/ ˈsuːʃɪ /

noun

1. a Japanese dish consisting of small cakes of cold rice with a topping esp of raw fish

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Usage

What’s the difference between sushi and sashimi? Sushi and sashimi are both dishes you’ll find on the menu of a Japanese restaurant, and you might even order both at once, but they’re not the same thing. Sushi consists of bite-sized pieces of cold, boiled rice, stuffed or topped with various ingredients. Sashimi is raw fish cut into thin slices. The variety of sushi perhaps best-known outside of Japan is called maki (or maki-zushi). It’s made by forming a roll of rice around various fillings, especially vegetables, raw seafood, or a combination, and then wrapping the roll in seaweed and slicing it into small, bite-sized rounds. Another variety, nigiri (or nigiri-zushi), consists of bite-sized pieces of rice topped with raw seafood or something else. In Japanese, the word sushi means “sour rice” (the rice is traditionally moistened with rice vinegar). The word sashimi comes from the Japanese sashi, meaning “pierce” or “stabbing,” and mi, “flesh” or “body.”Many people associate sushi with a raw fish or seafood element, and it often includes these, but not always. It can be filled or topped with many other things—its essential ingredient is rice. Sashimi, on the other hand, is simply thinly sliced raw fish (often accompanied with soy sauce or wasabi). (You may see some non-fish dishes prepared sashimi-style, which typically means they’re sliced thin like sashimi is.)Here’s an example of sushi and sashimi used correctly in a sentence. Example: I love ordering sushi with unusual combinations of ingredients, but sometimes I prefer the simplicity of sashimi. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between sushi and sashimi.

Etymology

Origin of sushi

First recorded in 1895–1900; from Japanese: “sour, sour rice”

Compare meaning

How does sushi compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• nigiri vs. sushi
• maki vs. sushi

Explanation

Sushi is a popular Japanese dish made from seasoned rice with fish, egg, or vegetables. A sushi roll is shaped inside a thin sheet of seaweed. Sushi comes from a Japanese word meaning "sour rice," and it's the rice that's at the heart of sushi, even though most Americans think of it as raw fish. In fact, it's the word sashimi that refers to a piece of raw fish. When you eat sushi, you might eat cooked egg and rice, avocado and rice, or cooked fish and rice, as well as sushi made with raw fish and rice.

Example Sentences

However, anisakids, also called "sushi worms" or "sushi parasites," can cause illness if consumed alive in raw or undercooked seafood.

From Science Daily • Apr. 1, 2026

It’s a beautiful environment — one of the best sushi restaurants, I would say, in the world.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

A new sushi station will feature five chefs preparing handrolls and nigiri.

From Barron's • Mar. 11, 2026

The menu skews Asian fusion, with sushi, dim sum, wagyu and — unsurprisingly — Peking duck as the centerpiece, served with pancakes, hoisin and scallions.

From Salon • Mar. 7, 2026

She always says that until I’m ready to eat eel, I can’t really say I like sushi.

From "Sparrow" by Sarah Moon