pizza

American  

[peet-suh] / ˈpit sə /

noun

1. a flat, open-faced baked pie of Italian origin, consisting of a thin layer of bread dough topped with spiced tomato sauce and cheese, often garnished with anchovies, sausage slices, mushrooms, etc.

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pizza British  

/ ˈpiːtsə /

noun

1. a dish of Italian origin consisting of a baked disc of dough covered with cheese and tomatoes, usually with the addition of mushrooms, anchovies, sausage, or ham

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Etymology

Origin of pizza

1930–35; < Italian pizza (variant pitta ), perhaps ultimately < Greek; Cf. pḗtea bran, pētítēs bran bread

Explanation

Pizza is a round, baked crust topped with melted cheese and tomato sauce. If you order a slice of pepperoni, you must like pizza. Pizza was an Italian invention, but over the years it's become extremely popular all around the world. The first recorded use of the word pizza (literally "pie" in Italian) was in the tenth century, in a Latin document that stipulated delivery of duodecim pizze, or "twelve pizzas" to a certain bishop on Christmas Day. Pizza as we know it today was created in Naples sometime during the nineteenth century.

Example Sentences

The listing notes, “An extraordinary chef’s kitchen opens to the family room, breakfast room, and outdoor dining area with pizza oven and barbecue.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 17, 2026

Investigators took a swab from a leftover pizza crust Heuermann threw out in 2023, linking him to a hair found on the burlap sack Waterman’s remains were found in.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

Her Pizza Hut outfit and a prop pizza box were folded neatly in the back seat.

From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026

Eunice Lim, a Sydney-based influencer originally from Singapore, is grabbing a selfie with Sunga while balancing her haul of desserts, piled high in a pizza box.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

“I’ve decided I should eat with my students on pizza day,” says Ms. Cherry, setting her food down and touching her complicated hair.

From "Invisible Inkling" by Emily Jenkins