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tahini

American  
[tuh-hee-nee, tah-] / təˈhi ni, tɑ- /

noun

Middle Eastern Cooking.
  1. a paste made of ground sesame seeds.


tahini British  
/ təˈhiːnɪ, təˈhiːnə /

noun

  1. a paste made from sesame seeds originating in the Middle East, often used as an ingredient of hummus and other dips

"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 tahini

First recorded in 1895–1900; Levantine Arabic ṭaḥīni (standard Arabic ṭaḥīna ), derivative of ṭaḥana “to crush, grind”; compare Hebrew tākhan “to crush, grind”

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.

The vegetable crudité wreath is then finished off with a store-bought tahini dip drizzled with honey.

From Salon

But is that really a better deal than a $13 bowl of fresh greens, whole-grain rice, grilled chicken, tahini and pickled cabbage?

From The Wall Street Journal

Here in Chicago, every coffee shop worth its salt now ladles out some steaming permutation of oat mush with a swirl of tahini or jam, SQIRL-style.

From Salon

“They take flour, sugar, oil, tahini, and then they go and sell them to the starving people at astronomical prices!” he later wrote on Facebook.

From The Wall Street Journal

Mediterranean Loaded Fries: Crispy fries topped with garlicky tahini drizzle, roasted chickpeas, crumbled feta, chopped olives, cherry tomatoes and a sprinkle of fresh parsley.

From Salon