haggis

IPA/ˈhæɡɪs/
KK[hˈæɡəs]IPA/ˈhæɡɪs/

haggis — noun

  • haggissingular
  • haggisesplural

1. A traditional Scottish dish, haggis is made from a sheep's internal organs combi

1.nounB1
Definition

A traditional Scottish dish, haggis is made from a sheep's internal organs combined with oats and spices, then cooked inside a casing made from stomach lining.

Example

Every year on Burns Night, Theo's family serves haggis with mashed potatoes and turnips.

cultural context: served on Burns Night in Scotland

Aiko tried haggis for the first time during her trip to Edinburgh last winter.

Common collocations
  • traditional haggis
  • vegetarian haggis
  • haggis recipe
  • serve haggis
  • eat haggis
  • haggis with neeps and tatties

Usage Note

Haggis is strongly linked to Scottish culture and the poet Robert Burns. It is traditionally eaten on Burns Night (25 January), often served with neeps (mashed turnips) and tatties (mashed potatoes). Vegetarian versions made without animal organs are now available in many shops.

Common collocations

Nouns

  • haggis supper
  • haggis dinner
  • haggis season
  • haggis maker

Etymology

Middle EnglishOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'haggis' first appeared in English around the 1400s. Its exact origin is uncertain, but it may come from the Middle English word 'haggen' (to chop or hack), referring to the way the ingredients are cut up before cooking. Another possibility is that it comes from the Old French 'hachis' (finely chopped meat), which also gave English the word 'hachis' and later 'hash'. The dish itself has been a part of Scottish cooking for centuries and is famously celebrated in Robert Burns's 1787 poem 'Address to a Haggis'.