maki

noun

ma·​ki ˈmä-kē 

plural maki also makis

: sushi roll

Unlike the spicy tuna maki that are tightly rolled up with a bamboo mat and then sliced into six or eight tidy drums compressed inside a skin of nori, temaki are shaped by fingers and palms, without the aid of any tool.

—Pete Wells

Examples of maki in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Diners can order tartare, crudo, maki, nigiri and sashimi. — Sarah Blaskovich, Dallas Morning News, 1 Feb. 2026

Midway through, the chef arrived to shape a spicy salmon gunkan-maki hand roll tableside, adding some theatrical flair to the meal. — Siobhan Reid, Travel + Leisure, 24 Sep. 2025

Norwegian maki with spicy scallop, cucumber and salmon. — Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 23 Mar. 2026

The Pan-Asian menu includes sushi, sashimi, maki rolls, hand rolls, gyoza, a Wagyu sandwich and katsuya fried chicken. — Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Ojibwa mano·mini· (manoominii), literally, "wild rice people," derivative of mano·min (manoomin) "wild rice"

Note: According to the Handbook of North American Indians, vol. 15, Northeast (Smithsonian Institution, 1978), p. 723, "the Menominee name for themselves, omɛ·ʔnomene·w is of obscure etymology but is clearly not derived from their word mano·meh 'wild rice'."

First Known Use

1979, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for maki

• blocky
• chalky
• cocky
• gawky
• hockey
• jockey
• khaki
• machi
• rocky
• stocky
• talkie
• walkie