harissa

noun

ha·​ris·​sa hə-ˈri-sə How to pronounce harissa (audio)
: a spicy North African paste made from dried chilies, salt, oil, and other seasonings
Roast chicken slathered in fiery Moroccan harissa is served with a bright orange dollop of carrot purée …Margot Dougherty

Examples of harissa in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Some popular choices for cranking up the heat include Tabasco, sriracha, Cholula, Frank's RedHot, harissa, and gochujang, among others. Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 8 Oct. 2024 Baba ghanoush, with seared mushrooms, ancient grains, harissa, and herb salad from Red Yeti. Amanda Hancock, The Courier-Journal, 5 Oct. 2024 The North African sausage is flavored with lots of spices, garlic and harissa. Julia Turshen, Washington Post, 27 June 2024 Tumble in the potatoes, stir through the harissa and cook for 5-8 minutes or until the potatoes are beginning to colour. The Week Uk, theweek, 23 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for harissa 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'harissa.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French & North African Arabic; French harissa, borrowed from North African Arabic harīsa "dish of ground meat and bulgur or couscous, paste made from chili peppers and spices," derivative of Arabic harasa "crush, bruise, pound"

First Known Use

1970, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of harissa was in 1970

Dictionary Entries Near harissa

Cite this Entry

“Harissa.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/harissa. Accessed 15 Oct. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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