falafel

or fe·la·fel

[ fuh-lah-fuhl ]

noun

, Middle Eastern Cooking.

1. a small croquette made with ground chickpeas or fava beans and spices, often served with salad and tahini in pita bread.

falafel

/ fəlˈɑːfəl /

noun

1. a ball or cake of ground spiced chickpeas, deep-fried and often served with pitta bread

Word History and Origins

Origin of falafel¹

First recorded in 1950–55; from Levantine Arabic falāfil, plural of filfil “pepper”; possibly from Persian pilpil, from Sanskrit pippalī “long pepper,” or from Aramaic pilpāl “small round object, peppercorn”; pepper ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of falafel¹

C20: from Arabic felāfil

Example Sentences

You can even opt for crispy orbs of falafel or petite slices of gyro meat, both of which are quality third-party products that Marhaba surrounds with some superb sides.

From Washington Post

They also think that Israel’s campaign to make falafel its own with catchy songs or by designating it Israel’s national dish erases their history.

From Ozy

I even tried wasting coins in non-affiliated food places I really couldn’t afford—cannoli and an espresso on Spring, falafel from Mamoun’s, a slice from Joe’s.

From MIT Technology Review

Yes, you can learn the art of falafel at home with this straightforward recipe.

From Washington Post

Unless, maybe, you’ve got a specialty line of falafel insurance.

From Freakonomics

Is falafel Israeli and can fried chickpeas have a nationality?

From The Daily Beast

Sure, some falafel places in Israel stuff a couple of french fries into the pita.

From The Daily Beast

When Zohar and I met at a falafel joint around the corner, I told him about Linda's reaction.

From The Daily Beast

Mom made me a cup of tea and then chewed me out for eating dinner when I knew that she'd been making falafel.

From Project Gutenberg