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

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

Breaux, a dog lover, said they even have wiener dog races at Oktoberfest.

From Washington Post • Nov. 9, 2022

I thought of the bright pointy-nosed mustard bottles we used in abundance at church wiener suppers—a world apart from anything Mama Tataba had ever seen.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver