olla

noun

: a large bulging widemouthed earthenware vessel sometimes with looped handles used (as by Pueblo Indians) for storage, cooking, or as a container for water

Illustration of olla

Illustration of olla

Examples of olla in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web No longer are they made from clay ollas — used for hauling water or storing food — that would make a loud pop when cracked. Susan Montoya Bryan, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Sep. 2023 Cabbage grows well with an olla (a clay container for self-watering) or in a self-watering container. Christopher Michel, Country Living, 18 July 2022 In the adjacent Victor Manuel market, make time for Willimapu restaurant, which serves Indigneous Mapuche specialties like curanto en olla, a one-pot feast of seafood and meat. Patricia Garip, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 June 2022 Summer squash grows well with an olla or in a self-watering container. Christopher Michel, Country Living, 18 July 2022 The Monterey Park restaurant offers all of this and more: a massive new torta ahogada, as well as cafe de olla. Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2022 Osorio makes café de olla for herself and Vanesa Ramirez, 53. Laura Garcia, San Antonio Express-News, 20 Apr. 2022 Think Cuba’s cafecito or cortado, Mexico’s café de olla, Puerto Rico’s café con leche, and even new fusions like a horchata latte. Vulture, 9 Oct. 2021 Fluid serves a cafe de olla, the traditional Mexican coffee drink brewed in a clay pot, in homage to Tapia’s heritage, and a calamansi drink, a nod to Ty’s Filipino roots. Elena Kadvany, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Aug. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'olla.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, from Latin olla, aulla pot; akin to Sanskrit ukhā pot and probably to Goth auhns oven

First Known Use

1535, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of olla was in 1535

Dictionary Entries Near olla

Cite this Entry

“Olla.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/olla. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.

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