shish kebab

IPA/ˈʃɪʃ kɪbæb/
IPA/ˈʃɪʃ kɪbɑːb/

shish kebab — noun

1. a dish made by threading pieces of meat, often with vegetables, onto a skewer an

1.nounB1
Definition

a dish made by threading pieces of meat, often with vegetables, onto a skewer and grilling or roasting them

Example

Sven threaded chunks of lamb and peppers onto skewers for shish kebab.

thread [meat] onto skewers for shish kebab

The shish kebab arrived sizzling on a cast-iron plate with warm flatbread.

Common collocations
  • grill shish kebab
  • thread meat onto skewers for shish kebab
  • marinate meat for shish kebab
  • serve shish kebab with rice
Synonyms
  • kebab

    a broader term; in British English often refers to doner kebab rather than skewered meat

  • skewer

    informal; can refer to the stick itself or the food on it

Usage Note

In British English, 'kebab' by itself usually means doner kebab (meat shaved from a rotating spit). Shish kebab specifically refers to skewered pieces.

Common Mistakes

I had a shish kebab in pitta bread after the pub.
I had a doner kebab in pitta bread after the pub.
shish kebab is served on skewers, not stuffed into bread like doner kebab.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Shish kebab refers specifically to cubes of meat (and often vegetables) threaded onto a skewer and grilled. 'Kebab' is a broader term covering many grilled-meat dishes across the Middle East and South Asia; in British English it most often means doner kebab, which is meat shaved from a vertical rotating spit and served in flatbread. Doner kebab is fast food eaten with your hands, while shish kebab is typically a sit-down dish served on a plate. Satay is the Southeast Asian cousin — thinner skewers, smaller pieces, and always served with a peanut dipping sauce. If you are in a Turkish restaurant and want the skewered kind, ask for 'shish kebab,' not just 'kebab.'

kebab ↗doner kebabsatay ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • shish kebab recipe
  • shish kebab restaurant
  • shish kebab marinade
  • shish kebab skewer

Phrases

  • grill shish kebab
  • thread meat for shish kebab
  • serve shish kebab

Prepositions

  • shish kebab with (rice/salad/garlic sauce)
  • shish kebab on (a skewer/a hot plate)

Etymology

TurkishEnglish

From Turkish 'şiş kebap', where 'şiş' means 'skewer' and 'kebap' means 'roasted meat'. The word entered English in the early 20th century as Turkish and Middle Eastern cuisines became more widely known in Britain and North America.

First known use

1913

1913, in the meaning defined above