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Synonyms

pasta

American  
[pah-stuh, pas-tuh] / ˈpɑ stə, ˈpæs tə /

noun

  1. any of various flour-and-egg food preparations of Italian origin, made of thin, unleavened dough and produced in a variety of forms, usually served with a sauce and sometimes stuffed.

pasta British  
/ ˈpæstə /

noun

  1. any of several variously shaped edible preparations made from a flour and water dough, such as spaghetti

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of pasta

1870–75; < Italian < Late Latin. See paste

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.

"If you just need to grate some cheese over pasta, there are alternatives," she said.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

According to the charity, each bag of food includes fresh fruit and vegetables, chilled items for the fridge, and cupboard supplies such as pasta and cereal.

From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026

“Emma, I’m worried about something,” she said, warily eyeing my pasta bolognese.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

Sponsors organized hair and makeup sessions in the Olympic villages, which went through an average of 365 kilograms of pasta and 10,000 eggs a day.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 22, 2026

He had a new barrel of rice and jars of pasta.

From "The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge" by M.T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin

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.