pilaf

noun

pi·​laf pi-ˈläf 

-ˈlȯf;

ˈpē-ˌläf,

-ˌlȯf 

variants or less commonly pilaff

pi-ˈläf 

-ˈlȯf;

ˈpē-ˌläf,

-ˌlȯf

or pilau

pi-ˈlō  -ˈlȯ 

ˈpē-(ˌ)lō,

-ˌlȯ;

 Southern often  ˈpər-(ˌ)lü,

-(ˌ)lō

or pilaw

pi-ˈlō 

-ˈlȯ,

ˈpē-(ˌ)lō,

-ˌlȯ;

 Southern often  ˈpər-(ˌ)lü,

-(ˌ)lō

: a dish made of seasoned rice and often meat

Examples of pilaf in a Sentence

a serving of rice pilaf

Recent Examples on the Web

Get the recipe 20 of 27 Chicken Bog Somewhere between a stew and a pilaf, this cozy chicken and rice dish from the Lowcountry is like a hug in a bowl. —Josh Miller, Southern Living, 10 Dec. 2024

Tonight’s dinner is an easy sheet pan staple in our house: cherry tomatoes, chickpeas and feta roasted in the oven with olive oil and honey and served over rice pilaf. —R29 Team, refinery29.com, 7 Oct. 2024

Serve with a pot of mussels, or with swordfish slathered in olive oil or a rice pilaf with mango chutney. —Tom Mullen, Forbes, 15 Sep. 2024

For example, a consumer's report of a dental injury after eating chicken pilaf led to the February recall of frozen, ready-to-eat poultry product sold by Trader Joe's. —Kate Gibson, CBS News, 4 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Turkish & Persian; Turkish pilav, from Persian pilāv

First Known Use

1609, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

pilaf

noun

pi·​laf

variants also pilaff

pi-ˈläf  ˈpē-ˌläf 

or pilau

pi-ˈlō 

-ˈlȯ,

ˈpē-;

 Southern often  ˈpər-lü,

-lō

: a dish made of seasoned rice and often meat