maki

noun

ma·​ki ˈmä-kē How to pronounce maki (audio)
plural maki also makis
: sushi roll
Unlike the spicy tuna maki that are tightly rolled up with a bamboo mat and then sliced into six or eight tidy drums compressed inside a skin of nori, temaki are shaped by fingers and palms, without the aid of any tool.— Pete Wells

Examples of maki in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The creamy Italian cheese and eel do not make great friends in a maki roll. — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2025 Wave 2 offers spicy tuna maki (2pcs), octopus skewers, and Nami Nuggets. — Amy Drew Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Ojibwa mano·mini· (manoominii), literally, "wild rice people," derivative of mano·min (manoomin) "wild rice"

Note: According to the Handbook of North American Indians, vol. 15, Northeast (Smithsonian Institution, 1978), p. 723, "the Menominee name for themselves, omɛ·ʔnomene·w is of obscure etymology but is clearly not derived from their word mano·meh 'wild rice'."

First Known Use

1979, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of maki was in 1979

Rhymes for maki

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Browse Nearby Words

makhzan
maki
makimono
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Cite this Entry

“Maki.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maki. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.

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