couscous

noun cous·cous \ ˈküs-ˌküs \

|Updated on: 6 Aug 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

Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes, or until the couscous is tender.

— susan selasky, ajc, "5 recipes to cool things down on hot days," 3 July 2018
Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes, or until the couscous is tender.

— susan selasky, ajc, "5 recipes to cool things down on hot days," 3 July 2018
Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes, or until the couscous is tender.

— susan selasky, Detroit Free Press, "5 recipes to cool things down on hot days," 27 June 2018
Serve with brown rice, whole wheat couscous, or quinoa.

— jose cuadros, Philly.com, "Healthy family recipe: Salmon en papillote," 29 June 2018
The salad and its accompanying couscous are best served at room temperature; they can be made an hour or two before the dinner bell and set aside to wait.

— eric asimov, New York Times, "Chardonnay, the Oregon Way," 14 June 2018
Step 6 Uncover and fluff the couscous, then stir it into the pan until the sauce is evenly distributed.

— bonnie s. benwick, Washington Post, "This 20-minute lemony shrimp dish is the weeknight hero you’ve been waiting for," 19 Feb. 2018
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

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