noun
kebab
kih-BAB
Kebab (noun) means Meat, fish, or vegetables cooked on a skewer or spit, including the sliced-off-a-spit "doner" style sold in flatbread. Example: “We grabbed a kebab from the van after the pub closed.”
noun
1
Meat, fish, or vegetables cooked on a skewer or spit, including the sliced-off-a-spit "doner" style sold in flatbread.
"We grabbed a kebab from the van after the pub closed."
"She grilled lamb kebabs on the barbecue."
2
A takeaway shop that sells kebabs.
"There's a kebab on the corner that's open till 3am."
3
In computing, an icon of three stacked dots that opens a menu (informally, from its resemblance to food on a skewer).
"Tap the kebab icon in the top corner to see more options."
How to use kebab
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSkewered or spit-roasted meat (or the shop/van that sells it) — in the UK, often shorthand for a late-night doner kebab.
When to use it
The three-dot menu icon sense is casual tech slang, not standard usage.
Common pairings
doner kebab
shish kebab
kebab shop
kebab van
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Word forms
- Plural
- kebabs
- Third person singular
- kebabs
- Past tense
- kebabbed
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
We grabbed a _____ from the van after the pub closed.
Etymology
From Arabic kabāb, reaching English partly via Turkish, Persian, and Urdu.
Synonyms
View more →
kabob
shish kebab
Frequently asked questions
What does “kebab” mean?
The word “kebab” means meat, fish, or vegetables cooked on a skewer or spit, including the sliced-off-a-spit "doner" style sold in flatbread. In plain terms, skewered or spit-roasted meat (or the shop/van that sells it) — in the UK, often shorthand for a late-night doner kebab.
How do you pronounce “kebab”?
“Kebab” is pronounced kih-BAB (/kɪˈbɑb/ in IPA).
How do you use “kebab” in a sentence?
Here is “kebab” used in a sentence: “We grabbed a kebab from the van after the pub closed.”
What part of speech is “kebab”?
“Kebab” is a noun.
Where does the word “kebab” come from?
The word “kebab” comes from Arabic. From Arabic kabāb, reaching English partly via Turkish, Persian, and Urdu.
How many meanings does “kebab” have?
“Kebab” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: meat, fish, or vegetables cooked on a skewer or spit, including the sliced-off-a-spit "doner" style sold in flatbread.
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