halvah

[ hahl-vah, hahl-vah ]

noun

1. a sweet, candylike confection of Turkish origin, consisting chiefly of ground sesame seeds and honey.

halvah

/ ˈhæləvɑː; ˈhælvɑː /

noun

1. an Eastern Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, or Indian sweetmeat made of honey and containing sesame seeds, nuts, rose water, saffron, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of halvah¹

1840–50; < Yiddish halva < Romanian < Turkish helva < Arabic ḥalwā sweet confection

Word History and Origins

Origin of halvah¹

from Yiddish halva, from Romanian, from Turkish helve, from Arabic halwā sweetmeat

Example Sentences

In Israel, jelly doughnuts for Hanukkah are especially popular and are sometimes filled with chocolate or halvah.

From Washington Times

They rented a hall in a mosque, arranged white flower baskets and served trays of halvah, the traditional sweet served at funerals.

From New York Times

Mine is topped with shredded halvah.

From Washington Post

Shredded halvah can be found at kosher and Middle Eastern markets and online.

From Washington Post

It wouldn’t come with the berry sauce and pistachios, nor with the shredded halvah, but he invited me to call ahead and he’d have those parts ready for me.

From Washington Post