paella

noun

pa·​el·​la pä-ˈā-yə How to pronounce paella (audio)
-ˈāl-yə,
-ˈe-lə,
-ˈā-lə How to pronounce paella (audio)
: a saffron-flavored dish containing rice, meat, seafood, and vegetables

Examples of paella 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.
At Casa Dani, García pushes Andalusian flavors into a modern Mediterranean menu that stretches from paellas to croquetas to seafood pastas. Keyla Vasconcellos, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025 Mercifully, the guests go to bed after dinner, for which Anthony serves a seafood paella and a lemon tart with candles to celebrate Jason’s birthday, and both are so good that even these demons can’t find anything wrong with them. Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 8 July 2025 Here, the all-day menu has items such as ahi tuna Niçoise and paella risotto with British Columbia mussels. Johanna Read, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025 It is also known for its special events, including their paella nights every Tuesday. Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for paella

Word History

Etymology

Catalan, literally, pot, pan, from Middle French paelle, from Latin patella small pan — more at patella

First Known Use

circa 1892, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of paella was circa 1892

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Paella.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paella. Accessed 26 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

paella

noun
pa·​el·​la pä-ˈel-ə How to pronounce paella (audio) -ˈāl-yə How to pronounce paella (audio)
-ˈā-yə
: a Spanish dish of rice, meat, seafood, vegetables, and spices

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