polenta
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of polenta
First recorded before 1000; from Middle English pol(l)enta “fine meal; porridge made of fine meal,” Old English polente “parched grain or meal,” from Latin polenta “hulled, crushed grain; barley meal”; reborrowed in the 18th century from Italian polenta “kind of dish made of refined corn (or other) meal”
Explanation
Polenta is an Italian dish made from cornmeal. Polenta is usually prepared to be a soft, savory porridge and is often served with cheese. Depending on how you cook polenta, it can be a breakfast food, a comforting creamy side dish, or a more solid, chewy base for sauce — almost a substitute for pasta. If you trace the Italian word back to the Latin root, it literally means "peeled barley," and is closely related to pollen, "powder or fine flour." Today's polenta always comes from corn — and it's nearly always delicious.
Vocabulary lists containing polenta
World Cuisine - Introductory
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World Cuisine - Middle School and High School
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5th Grade World Cuisine, List 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Her Swiss chard and okra stew makes a delicious main course served over polenta, while her coconut fish curry evokes the country’s long coast.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
Matijevich recommends pairing the short ribs with polenta, which has been described as an ultimate comfort food.
From Salon • Feb. 20, 2026
If you’re expecting vegetarian guests at your own table, I highly recommend it as a meatless main, over polenta.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 26, 2025
“Awards are nice, like ice cream, like your birthday,” he grins, across his polenta alternative of hummus and salad.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 20, 2023
Bobby Gene had dumped a whole stick into the polenta and was trying to whisk it in.
From "The Season of Styx Malone" by Kekla Magoon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
