couscous

[ koos-koos ]

noun

1. a North African dish consisting of steamed semolina, typically served with vegetables and meat.
2. semolina in the form of tiny pellets or balls, produced by any of various methods and used in a number of different cuisines and dishes.
3. Israeli couscous ( def ).

couscous

/ ˈkuːskuːs /

noun

1. a type of semolina originating from North Africa, consisting of granules of crushed durum wheat
2. a spicy North African dish consisting of steamed semolina with meat, vegetables, or fruit C17: via French from Arabic kouskous, from kaskasa to pound until fine

Word History and Origins

Origin of couscous¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; from French, from Arabic kuskus, kuskusū, from Berber seksu

Example Sentences

Accompany with curried couscous, mint, pine nuts and currants.

From Salon

Cook: This “risotto” uses pearl couscous instead of rice, which cuts down the stirring time.

From New York Times

They drank instant coffee and ate biscuits in the morning, couscous and water in the afternoon.

From Seattle Times

If you can’t find fregola, substitute an equal amount of pearl couscous, but cook it for only five minutes before adding the beans, parsley and garlic.

From Washington Times

"You must eat," he said, and produced a dish of perfectly steamed vegetables on top of fragrant yellow grains of couscous.

From BBC