polenta

noun

po·​len·​ta pō-ˈlen-tə How to pronounce polenta (audio)
pə-,
-ˌtä
: mush made of chestnut meal, cornmeal, semolina, or farina

Examples of polenta 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.
Entrees include Greek lemon chicken, teriyaki salmon, pasta primavera and braised short rib over polenta. — Monica Eng, Axios, 21 Mar. 2025 The bites: Classic surf, turf, salads and sandwiches with daily specials like a Wednesday short rib with a mascarpone polenta ($48) or Sunday fried chicken with cornbread ($35). — Monica Eng, Axios, 12 Mar. 2025 After being made aware of her video, Monadnock Food Co-op had to issue a recall and refunds for their organic red quinoa, organic white quinoa, organic tri-color quinoa, organic cornmeal, organic polenta, organic coconut shreds, and their raw walnuts. — Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025 The affected products include quinoa, cornmeal, polenta, coconut shreds and walnuts. — Terry Dickerson, NBC News, 25 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for polenta

Word History

Etymology

Italian, from Latin, crushed and hulled barley; akin to Latin pollen fine flour

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of polenta was before the 12th century

Rhymes for polenta

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Browse Nearby Words

polemoscope
polenta
Polenta
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Cite this Entry

“Polenta.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polenta. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.

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Kids Definition

polenta

noun
po·​len·​ta pō-ˈlen-tə How to pronounce polenta (audio)
: mush made of chestnut meal, cornmeal, or grain

Biographical Definition

Polenta

biographical name

Po·​len·​ta pō-ˈlen-tə How to pronounce Polenta (audio)
Francesca da died 1283(or 1284) Francesca da Rimini ˌfran-ˈche-skə-dä-ˈri-mə-(ˌ)nē How to pronounce Polenta (audio)
ˌfrän-,
-ˈrē-
 Italian noblewoman famous for tragic adulterous love affair

More from Merriam-Webster on polenta

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about polenta

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