za'atar

noun

za'a·​tar ˈzä-ˌtär How to pronounce za'atar (audio)
variants or less commonly zaatar
: a Middle Eastern spice blend made usually of dried herbs (such as thyme or marjoram), dried sumac (see sumac sense 3), and sesame seeds

Examples of za'atar 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.
The casual restaurant serves pizzas on ciabatta crust, burgers, sandwiches, and starters like za'atar fries and Lebanese-style hummus. Emma Balter, Chron, 22 Mar. 2023

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Arabic zaʻtar, saʻtar, ṣaʻtar "any of various herbs (as Origanum syriacum or Thymus serpyllum), a mixture of these herbs with sumac and sesame seeds"

First Known Use

1917, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of za'atar was in 1917

Dictionary Entries Near za'atar

Cite this Entry

“Za'atar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/za%27atar. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!