pistou

[ pee-stoo ]

1. a paste or sauce from Provençe made of basil, garlic, olive oil, and sometimes Parmesan cheese and tomato paste.
2. a vegetable soup flavored with pistou.

Word History and Origins

Origin of pistou¹

First recorded in 1950–55; from French: literally “crushed basil, pesto,” from Provençal, pistou “ground, pounded,” past participle of pista “to crush,” from Old Provençal pester, pistar “to grind,” from Vulgar Latin pistāre; pestle ( def ), pesto