wiener

¹ American  

[wee-ner] / ˈwi nər /

Also wienerwurst

noun

1. frankfurter.

2. Vienna sausage.

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Wiener ² American  

[wee-ner] / ˈwi nər /

noun

1. Norbert, 1894–1964, U.S. mathematician: pioneer in cybernetics.

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Wiener ¹ British  

/ ˈwiːnə /

noun

1. Norbert (ˈnɔːbət). 1894–1964, US mathematician, who developed the concept of cybernetics

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wiener ² British  

/ ˈwiːnəˌwɜːst, ˈwiːnə /

noun

1. Also called: wienie.   weenie.  a kind of smoked beef or pork sausage, similar to a frankfurter

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Usage

What does wiener mean? A wiener is a type of sausage. Wiener is also used as slang for “penis” and as a mild insult for someone seen as weak and awkward.

Etymology

Origin of wiener

1865–70, < German, short for Wiener Wurst Viennese sausage

Explanation

You might call your favorite backyard cookout food a hot dog, but it's also known as a frankfurter or a wiener. You're probably not thinking of Strauss waltzes and cream-topped tortes as you spread the mustard and relish on your hot dog, but in German, wiener simply means Viennese. Thank the lowly wienerwurst — "Vienna sausage" — parent of the sausage that we designate by this word today. The spelling weiner is also widely found in English, somewhat obscuring the word's origins.

Example Sentences

You have to try wiener schnitzel or tafelspitz at least once; those dishes are part of the city’s identity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

Lady Gaga, as a sympathetic classmate, sings a very good song as Pip trains by using a hot dog wiener as a heavy bag and bench presses blocks of cheese.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 9, 2025

The giant wiener was created by Jen Catron and Paul Outlaw, married Brooklyn artists whose métier is often interactive, food-based spectaculars that also question the lore — and lure — of Americana.

From New York Times • May 7, 2024

Instead, they viewed him with contempt for being such a wiener.

From Salon • Dec. 26, 2023

She finished the piece and looked up after a long, long time — I would be toasted like a barbecue wiener when I got back to math — and blushed.

From "Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie" by Jordan Sonnenblick