polenta

noun

po·​len·​ta pō-ˈlen-tə 

pə-,

-ˌtä

: mush made of chestnut meal, cornmeal, semolina, or farina

Examples of polenta in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

New bowls for chilly season include osso bucco ravioli, tortellini in brodo, and cheesy baked polenta with mushroom ragu. —Anna Spiegel, Axios, 4 Nov. 2024

Serve with pan juices and onions over polenta or mashed potatoes; garnish with chives. —Liv Dansky, Southern Living, 23 Oct. 2024

Local favorites include the Tricarico Social Club with its polenta and sausage and the Sons of Sicily frying up sfingi for dessert. —Linda Zavoral, The Mercury News, 4 Oct. 2024

Her vegetarian chili, a recipe handed down from her mother, was the stuff of legend, as was her Mayan bake, which featured polenta layered with beans and vegetables and a smoky chipotle sauce. —Keith Pandolfi, The Enquirer, 27 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Italian, from Latin, crushed and hulled barley; akin to Latin pollen fine flour

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

polenta

noun

po·​len·​ta pō-ˈlen-tə 

: mush made of chestnut meal, cornmeal, or grain

Biographical Definition

Polenta

biographical name

Po·​len·​ta pō-ˈlen-tə 

Francesca da died 1283(or 1284) Francesca da Rimini ˌfran-ˈche-skə-dä-ˈri-mə-(ˌ)nē 

ˌfrän-,

-ˈrē-

Italian noblewoman famous for tragic adulterous love affair