tempura

[tem-poo r-uh]

noun Japanese Cookery.

seafood or vegetables dipped in batter and deep-fried.

Origin of tempura

1935–40; < Japanese tenpura, allegedly < Portuguese tempêro seasoning, taste (derivative of temperar to season < Latin temperāre; see temper)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for tempura

Contemporary Examples of tempura

To cook the fish lightly coat each fish portion in tempura batter.
Cinco de Mayo Recipes: Tacos for One and All
May 4, 2012
Tempura—battered and deep fried vegetables—are exclusively associated with Japanese cuisine.
What to Eat: Japanese Small Plates
Cookstr.com
May 18, 2010
And I love the restaurants that are inspired by one main technique—be it raw fish or tempura.
Fresh Picks
Michael Mina
December 15, 2009

British Dictionary definitions for tempura

tempura

noun

a Japanese dish of seafood or vegetables dipped in batter and deep-fried, often at the table

Word Origin for tempura

from Japanese: fried food

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

Word Origin and History for tempura

1920, from Japanese, probably from Portuguese tempero "seasoning."