pizza
PEE-tsuh
Pizza (noun) means a baked dish of flattened bread dough topped with tomato sauce, cheese, and other ingredients. Example: “We ordered a large pepperoni pizza for the party.”
noun
1
A baked dish of flattened bread dough topped with tomato sauce, cheese, and other ingredients.
"We ordered a large pepperoni pizza for the party."
"She likes her pizza with extra cheese and mushrooms."
"Shall we share a pizza and watch a film tonight?"
"Want to go out for pizza tonight?"
How to use pizza
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe classic round baked bread dish topped with sauce, cheese, and toppings.
Common pairings
slice of pizza
order pizza
pizza delivery
pizza dough
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Word forms
- Plural
- pizzas, pizze
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
We ordered a large pepperoni _____ for the party.
Etymology
Borrowed into English in 1931 from Neapolitan Italian pizza, a word of much-debated origin possibly going back to an ancient Greek word for a flatbread or cake.
Class of 1931
pizza joined the language around 1931.
See the full Class of 1931 →
Synonyms
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pizza pie
pie
Related words
Frequently asked questions
What does “pizza” mean?
The word “pizza” means a baked dish of flattened bread dough topped with tomato sauce, cheese, and other ingredients. In plain terms, the classic round baked bread dish topped with sauce, cheese, and toppings.
How do you pronounce “pizza”?
“Pizza” is pronounced PEE-tsuh (/ˈpi.tsə/ in IPA).
How do you use “pizza” in a sentence?
Here is “pizza” used in a sentence: “We ordered a large pepperoni pizza for the party.”
What part of speech is “pizza”?
“Pizza” is a noun.
Where does the word “pizza” come from?
The word “pizza” dates back to around 1931 and comes from Ancient Greek. Borrowed into English in 1931 from Neapolitan Italian pizza, a word of much-debated origin possibly going back to an ancient Greek word for a flatbread or cake.
Is “pizza” a common word?
“Pizza” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
Where did pizza originate?
Modern pizza was born in Naples, Italy, during the 18th and 19th centuries, where flatbreads topped with tomatoes became popular street food for the working poor. The classic Margherita — tomato, mozzarella, and basil — dates to this era. Italian immigrants later carried pizza around the world.
What are the main types of pizza?
Popular styles include Neapolitan, with a thin, soft base; New York-style, with large foldable slices; Chicago deep-dish, baked thick in a pan; Sicilian, with a thick rectangular crust; and thin, crispy Roman pizza. Each varies in dough, thickness, toppings, and baking method.
What is the difference between pizza and flatbread?
Pizza is a specific kind of topped flatbread, defined by its tomato sauce, cheese, and baked-on toppings. Flatbread is the broader category — any thin, flat bread, often plain or lightly seasoned. In short, all pizzas are flatbreads, but not all flatbreads are pizza.
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