satay

IPA/ˈsæteɪ/
KK[sætˈe]IPA/ˈsɑːteɪ/

satay — noun

1. a dish originally from Southeast Asia made by seasoning chunks of chicken, pork,

1.nounB1
Definition

a dish originally from Southeast Asia made by seasoning chunks of chicken, pork, or seafood, threading them onto thin sticks, cooking them over a fire, and serving them with a peanut-based sauce

Example

Walid ordered chicken satay at the night market and asked for extra peanut sauce.

collocation: chicken satay / beef satay / pork satay

For the party, Lauren made beef satay with a homemade spicy peanut dip.

uncountable use: satay as a dish

Common collocations
  • chicken satay
  • beef satay
  • pork satay
  • satay sauce
  • satay stick
  • grilled satay
  • peanut satay
Synonyms
  • sate

    alternative spelling, less common in English, closer to the original Malay/Indonesian spelling

  • skewered meat

    generic term; satay is a specific Southeast Asian version

Usage Note

Satay is usually uncountable when referring to the dish in general ('We had satay for dinner'). When ordering individual skewers, it can be countable and often appears in the plural ('I ordered three chicken satays').

Common Mistakes

Satay is a kind of sauce served with meat.
Satay is a dish of grilled skewers served with peanut sauce.
satay refers to the meat dish itself, not just the sauce.
I ate two satay for lunch.
I ate two satay sticks for lunch.' or 'I ate two chicken satays for lunch.
when counting individual skewers, use 'satay stick' or the countable plural form 'satays'.

Word family

  • sate
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Satay and sate refer to the same Southeast Asian dish of grilled, skewered meat with peanut sauce — 'sate' is the original Malay/Indonesian spelling, while 'satay' is the more common English adaptation. Both are distinct from generic terms like 'skewered meat' or 'grilled skewers,' which describe any meat cooked on a stick regardless of cuisine. Only satay/sate implies the specific seasoning, grilling method, and peanut-based dipping sauce characteristic of Malay, Indonesian, and Thai street food. For example, a Turkish shish kebab is 'skewered meat' but not satay.

satay ↗sateskewered meatgrilled skewers

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • on a stick
  • with peanut sauce

Prepositions

Etymology

TamilMalayEnglish

Satay comes from Malay sate or satai, likely adopted from Tamil catai (சதை), meaning 'flesh' or 'meat', reflecting the role of Tamil traders who brought the cooking method to the Malay archipelago. The dish spread across Southeast Asia and entered English menus in the early 20th century.