couscous

noun cous·cous \ ˈküs-ˌküs \

Updated on: 3 Apr 2018

Definition of couscous

: a North African dish of steamed semolina usually served with meat or vegetables; also : the semolina itself

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Recent Examples of couscous from the Web

Zucchini, a solitary ribbon of kale, pearl couscous and a tasteless tomato broth completed the dish.

— kate washington, sacbee, "Punch Bowl Social takes ‘eatertainment’ to a whole new level | The Sacramento Bee," 23 Mar. 2018
Reduce heat to simmer and cook couscous until tender, about 6 minutes; drain and rinse.

— Country Living, "Israeli Couscous and Apple Salad," 27 July 2010
Tomorrow’s might include beef bourguignon with acai or lamb stew with Israeli couscous.

— Bloomberg.com, "From Ceviche to Bechamel: How Brazil's Smallest Airline Competes," 28 Feb. 2018
It was served alongside a cold couscous and olive salad that would have been better served warm.

— Anchorage Daily News, "Revamped Crush offers intriguing dining choices in downtown Anchorage," 21 Feb. 2018
Reduce heat, cover the saucepan with a lid and simmer until the couscous is tender and most of the water has evaporated, about 10 to 12 minutes.

— nik sharma, San Francisco Chronicle, "A Brown Kitchen: Turmeric-Baked Sea Bass With Saffron Couscous," 15 Jan. 2018
To serve: Remove the couscous from the heat and fold in the sauteed vegetables.

— nik sharma, San Francisco Chronicle, "A Brown Kitchen: Turmeric-Baked Sea Bass With Saffron Couscous," 15 Jan. 2018
Four big scallops are served on Israeli couscous, the fat pearly kind.

— polly campbell, Cincinnati.com, "The National Exemplar review: All ages welcome ⭐⭐⭐⭐," 15 Dec. 2017
Meanwhile, boil water and prepare couscous according to directions, adding raisins, apricots and pine nuts to water.

— susan nicholson, ajc, "7 Day Menu Planner," 10 Nov. 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of couscous

French couscous, couscoussou, from Arabic kuskus, kuskusū

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1738

in the meaning defined above

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COUSCOUS Defined for English Language Learners

couscous

noun

Definition of couscous for English Language Learners

: a North African food that is made from wheat and is in the form of very small, round pieces; also : a dish of this food served with meat or vegetables