pita

¹

[ pee-tuh ]

noun

1. a round Middle Eastern flatbread that is often filled with meat, peppers, etc., to make a sandwich.

pita

²

[ pee-tuh ]

noun

1. a fiber obtained from plants of the genera Agave, Aechmea, etc., used for cordage, mats, etc.
2. any of these plants.

pita

/ ˈpiːtə /

noun

1. any of several agave plants yielding a strong fibre See also istle
2. a species of pineapple, Ananas magdalenae, the leaves of which yield a white fibre
3. Also calledpita fibre the fibre obtained from any of these plants, used in making cordage and paper

Word History and Origins

Origin of pita¹

First recorded in 1935–40; from Modern Greek pḗtta, pítta, píta “bread, cake, pie”; further origin uncertain; perhaps from Greek peptós “cooked, baked”; perhaps from Modern Hebrew pittāh, pitāh, from Balkan Ladino pita “flat bread”; perhaps from Germanic, akin to Old High German bizzo, pizzo “bite, morsel”

Origin of pita²

First recorded in 1690–1700; from Latin American Spanish, from Quechua pita or Aymara p’ita

Word History and Origins

Origin of pita¹

C17: via Spanish from Quechua

Example Sentences

She would prepare elaborate feasts featuring freshly made pita bread, stews, hand pies, rice dishes and pastries, all from our homeland where she was born and raised.

From Salon

Instead of making the pita, you could buy some.

From Salon

Miller countered that 20 bakeries throughout Gaza are producing over 2 million pita breads a day.

From Seattle Times

Throngs of people crowd around a bakery, hoping for a few pitas to feed their families.

From Seattle Times

Schem said she was kept with six or seven people in a small room and received just one piece of pita bread a day.

From Seattle Times