halvah

[ hahl-vah, hahl-vah ]

noun

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

halvah

/ ˈhælvɑː; ˈhæləvɑː /

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