teriyaki
Americannoun
adjective
adjective
noun
Etymology
Origin of teriyaki
1960–65; < Japanese, equivalent to teri glaze + yaki broil
Explanation
Teriyaki is a Japanese dish of meat or seafood glazed in a savory sauce and cooked on a grill. You can find chicken or beef teriyaki on the menu at many Chinese and Korean restaurants too. In the West, teriyaki is often made with a thick, sweet marinade, and you can even buy teriyaki sauce to pour on meat, fish, vegetables, or rice. In Japan, the dish usually consists of meat or fish basted with a thinner mixture of soy sauce, rice wine, and sake, and grilled. The word teriyaki comes from teri, “to shine,” and yaki, "to grill.”
Vocabulary lists containing teriyaki
World Cuisine - Introductory
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World Cuisine - Middle School and High School
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Foods from Asia
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She’s also got a rotation of slow cooker meals like lasagna and chicken teriyaki that make for hot, low-effort dinners.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
I like teriyaki food and hibachi places, so I’d either order from a place called Blazed N Glazed or Teriyaki Madness, or this place on campus called Hibachi Papi.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 6, 2026
Specific meal options include tomato basil soup with pasta, teriyaki rice, chicken flavored noodle soup, crunchy granola, vanilla pudding and more.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2024
The popular West Coast chain also runs an eclectic grill menu with Cajun shrimp and teriyaki pork chop.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 6, 2024
Street vendors push food carts piled with steamed dumplings, smoked beef teriyaki sticks, and roasted peanuts along the sidewalks and begin to set up for another day of business.
From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
