feta

noun

fe·​ta ˈfe-tə 

ˈfe-ˌtä

often capitalized

: a white moderately hard and crumbly Greek cheese made from sheep's or goat's milk and cured in brine

Examples of feta in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Shifting our focus to green things, Yasmin Fahr’s zesty pasta with feta and green olives is briny and tangy and can be on the table in under 20 minutes. —Melissa Clark, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2025

In a bowl, combine feta, pine nuts, dill, and lemon juice. —Cathy Thomas, Orange County Register, 28 Jan. 2025

Specialty pies include The Big Sur, with 40 cloves of roasted garlic scattered among the sausage, pepperoni and mushrooms, and the Figgy Piggy, which features black figs, feta, bacon and sage. —Linda Zavoral, The Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2025

Few treats beat watermelon all on its own on a hot day, but consider these options: Try a dish of watermelon, feta, and mint. —Nancy Lebrun, Verywell Health, 21 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Modern Greek (tyri) pheta, from tyri cheese + pheta slice, from Italian fetta — more at fettuccine

First Known Use

1915, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

feta

noun

fe·​ta ˈfet-ə 

ˈfe-ˌtä

: a white Greek cheese made from sheep's or goat's milk and cured in salt water

Etymology

from modern Greek pheta "slice (of cheese)"