mortadella

[ mawr-tuh-del-uh ]

noun

1. a large Italian sausage of pork, beef, and pork fat chopped fine, seasoned with garlic and pepper, cooked, and smoked.

Word History and Origins

Origin of mortadella¹

1605–15; < Italian < Latin murtāt ( um ) sausage seasoned with myrtle ( murt ( um ) myrtle-berry + -ātum, neuter of -ātus -ate ¹ ) + -ella diminutive suffix

Example Sentences

First, is mortadella: I absolutely love it.

From Salon

Perhaps start with the Mortadella with Pistachio Pesto.

From Salon

But I ditched the traditional ham you would typically use and opted for my favorite, mortadella.

From Salon

They were recent graduates of Pratt Institute’s industrial design program, and they swaddled pieces of rope, scraps of wood and other discards in spandex that they soaked in resin, creating a ham hock-like form that could be sliced to create variegated drink coasters that a writer described as “one part terrazzo and one part mortadella.”

From New York Times

I inquired about some of the imaginative, standout menu items — like Swordfish bacon, parmesan foam, steamed crab head bun, skate cheek karaage, spot prawn mortadella, and of course the oyster ice cream, which Hemsley estimates about 5 to 10% of guests dislike “even though there is nothing wrong about it.”

From Salon