panini

noun

pa·​ni·​ni pə-ˈnē-nē 

variants or less commonly panino

pə-ˈnē-nō 

plural panini or paninis

: a usually grilled sandwich made with Italian bread

Note: Panini is a plural form in Italian but is commonly used as both a singular and a plural in English. Its use as a singular has given rise the variant plural form paninis. The use of panino as a singular form in English has become relatively uncommon as panini has become established as the usual singular.

On each visit, someone at our table invariably orders a panini …

—Jodi Wright

At the back of the shop are paninis, freshly brewed coffee and two tubs of homemade soups.

—M. H. Reed

Examples of panini in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The food list includes a variety of breakfast sandwiches and paninis. —Brianna Taylor, Sacramento Bee, 10 May 2024

The restaurant also has flatbreads and paninis, both starting at $12. —Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 7 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Italian, diminutive of pane bread, from Latin panis — more at food

First Known Use

1955, in the meaning defined above