moussaka

noun

mous·​sa·​ka mü-ˈsä-kə  ˌmü-sä-ˈkä 

variants or less commonly mousaka

: a Middle Eastern dish of ground meat (such as lamb or beef) and sliced eggplant often topped with a seasoned sauce

Examples of moussaka in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In Vouliagmeni, the patio at Koutales is a great place to watch the sunset and dine on fresh seabass and moussaka. —Aileen Weintraub, Travel + Leisure, 10 June 2026

There are outdoor food booths and an indoor dining hall serving everything from moussaka to lamb shanks to Greek salad to gyros and souvlakis. —John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 15 May 2026

Dorset lamb arriving with lamb-fat flatbreads, smoked anchovy yoghurt and moussaka. —Lela London, Forbes.com, 1 May 2026

The expansive buffet will feature a selection of traditional Mediterranean dishes like Greek salad, spanakopita, gyros, souvlaki, moussaka, baklava and more. —Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 10 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Modern Greek mousakas, from Turkish musakka, from dialect Arabic (Egypt) musaggaʽa, literally, chilled

First Known Use

1862, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for moussaka

• jataka
• kabaka
• kanaka
• macaca
• resaca
• baka
• paca
• shaka

Kids Definition

moussaka

noun

mous·​sa·​ka ˌmü-sə-ˈkä 

: a Middle Eastern dish of ground meat (as lamb or beef) and sliced eggplant often topped with a seasoned sauce

Etymology

from modern Greek mousakas "moussaka"