arancini

plural noun aran·ci·ni \ ˌä-rän-ˈchē-nē \

|Updated on: 15 Jun 2018

Definition of arancini

: rounded balls of cooked rice with savory fillings (such as mozzarella cheese) that are coated with bread crumbs and deep-fried

The lobster arancini and pureed potato croquettes captured his attention, and the pork and beef meatballs were worthy of a "best of" medal in Schaffer's eyes.
—Dana Hatic

Recent Examples of arancini from the Web

Look for arancini, pork bahn mi sandwiches, street tacos, Mexican street corn and udon.

— jennifer mcclellan, azcentral, "19 new restaurants opened in Phoenix in May for donuts, salads, tacos, pizza," 1 June 2018
Appetizers include meatballs with pickled mustard seed gremolata, oxtail arancini with caper salsa verde, mussels fra diavolo, and antipasto platters.

— devra first, BostonGlobe.com, "Grassona’s Italian: so old-school it’s new again," 29 Mar. 2018
Crispy saffron rice arancini balls stuffed with flavorful lamb ragù are a nod to Burke’s Italian training.

— craig laban, Philly.com, "Yards brewery is better, not just bigger, with move and ambitious new taproom," 23 Mar. 2018
Short rib arancini with roasted garlic aioli is a top seller from the starters category ($5 to $15), which also features classics like Nonna’s meatballs and eggplant rollatini.

— leeanne griffin, courant.com, "Trattoria Toscana: Classic And Contemporary Italian In A Relaxed Atmosphere," 12 Mar. 2018
Wagyu sliders, lobster arancini, cauliflower and whipped brie tarts, coq au vin empanadas, pork belly, and scallops by executive chef Danny Trace were devoured next to Fendi handbag displays and Alaia accessories.

— amber elliott, Houston Chronicle, "VIP view: Houston's finest fete Tootsies, the Galleria and Cafe Annie for one epic night on the town," 22 Feb. 2018
Like a miniature version of Naples, with fewer good hotels but better arancini, Catania keeps it real without even trying.

— christopher bagley, Condé Nast Traveler, "In Mount Etna's Shadow, Catania Is Raw, Authentic Italy," 8 Feb. 2018
Crispy arancini conceal a hot and gooey nduja core, and Berkshire pork meatballs in marinara sauce seem to melt to the touch, while dense marinated eggplant is made almost meaty by a decades-old press owned by a Fiasche matriarch.

— mike sula, Chicago Reader, "Tempesta Market is the house that nduja built," 7 Feb. 2018
For example, the duck breast ($34) is flanked by two fried wild rice arancini balls.

— michael bauer, San Francisco Chronicle, "Prospect in San Francisco: Urban, sleek and sophisticated," 29 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'arancini.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of arancini

borrowed from Italian, plural of arancino, literally, "little orange," from arancio "orange" (borrowed from Arabic nāranj, with misdivision of the Italian article un) + -ino, diminutive suffix (going back to Latin -īnus, suffix of appurtenance) — more at ¹orange, ¹-ine

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1948

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year