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

"People like convenience, ready-made meals and they'll buy a pizza which is on offer and not think 'oh we could do that from scratch'."

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

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

He worked temp jobs and lived off dollar pizza while taking internships that might pay him in metro cards and free opening night food.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 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

Mama greets her younger brother with a hug and takes the pizza boxes out of his hand.

From "Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun" by Hena Khan