cannoli

[ kuh-noh-lee; Italian kahn-naw-lee ]

plural noun

, Italian Cooking.

1. tubular pastry shells stuffed with a sweetened filling of whipped ricotta and often containing nuts, citron, or bits of chocolate.

Word History and Origins

Origin of cannoli¹

1940–45; < Italian, plural of cannolo, derivative of canna reed, cane; cannelloni

Example Sentences

“It was, like, $20. I thought it was funny, like, ‘Leave the gun, take the cannoli,’” she said, referring to a line from “The Godfather.”

From Los Angeles Times

Take the cannoli – unless your host indicate otherwise.

From Salon

They go to her house just outside Georgetown, and she cooks this dinner with roast pork, eggplant parm and cannoli.

From Salon

Eventually, traditions also became melded together to produce the current Americanized image of pan-Italian food that ranges from pizza to cannoli, which are both regional in Italy.

From National Geographic

They married in 1994, under a tree in Prospect Park, with two gay men officiating, before a reception with a “Super Freak” dance break and a heap of cannoli.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• profiterole