yakitori

American

[yah-ki-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] / ˌjɑ kɪˈtɔr i, -ˈtoʊr i /

noun

Japanese Cooking.

a dish of small pieces of boneless chicken, usually marinated, skewered, and grilled.

yakitori British

/ ˌjækɪˈtɔːrɪ /

noun

a Japanese dish consisting of small pieces of chicken skewered and grilled

"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

Etymology

Origin of yakitori

1960–65; < Japanese, equivalent to yaki broil + tori fowl

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.

See Examples For:

yakitori

Japanese cuisine, especially yakitori and robata, fits right in with my love for grilling and cooking over open flames.

From Salon ● Apr. 29, 2025

On Sunday night, it was Shohei Ohtani’s turn to organize a team gathering, planning a private sushi and yakitori dinner for the group with the help of fellow Japanese stars Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 17, 2025

These savory-sweet chicken skewers from our book “COOKish,” which limits recipes to just six ingredients without sacrificing flavor, are loosely based on Japanese yakitori.

From Washington Times ● Aug. 11, 2023

And if you’re hankering for Japanese cuisine, a sushi spot and a yakitori counter have debuted to promising early reviews.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 25, 2023

“Oh? I didn’t realize. Surely a few salmon rolls and yakitori skewers won’t break the bank.”

From "The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora" by Pablo Cartaya

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023