pastry

noun

pas·​try ˈpā-strē 

plural pastries

1

a

: a dough that is used to make pies and other baked goods and typically has a high fat content : paste sense 1a

b

: usually sweet baked goods made of dough having a high fat content

a plate of tempting pastry

see also danish pastry, french pastry

2

: a piece of pastry

I had a pastry and a cup of tea.

Examples of pastry in a Sentence

He worked on the filling while I prepared the pastry.

She had a pastry and coffee for breakfast.

Recent Examples on the Web

Neighbors Café, a breakfast and lunch counter spot, skews healthy with wellness drinks like a supershroom latte, fresh juices and smoothies, and overnight oats (there are also tasty pastries and breakfast sandwiches). —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 May 2026

Roll pastry around filling, pinching to seal. —Shelly Westerhausen Worcel, Midwest Living, 18 May 2026

Millville Toaster Tarts For anyone who likes to start their day with a little bit of brown sugar pastry, consider picking up a box of Millville Toaster Tarts instead of name brand Pop-Tarts. —Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 18 May 2026

The restaurant will be launching lunch eventually—with, naturally, Sunday roasts, a pub trapping as proper and totemic as malt vinegar and newsprint, or pastry with a piscine head sticking out. —Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 17 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

paste entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing pastry

• choux pastry
• Danish pastry
• French pastry
• pastry cream
• puff pastry

Kids Definition

pastry

noun

past·​ry

ˈpā-strē

plural pastries

1

: sweet baked goods (as cakes or tarts) made of dough or having a crust made of enriched dough

2

: a piece of pastry