muffuletta

noun muf·fu·let·ta \ ˌmə-fə-ˈle-tə \

variants: or less commonly muffaletta

|Updated on: 13 Jul 2018

Definition of muffuletta

: a sandwich made with round Italian bread and filled usually with cold cuts, cheese, and olive salad

The muffuletta is one of the great sandwiches of New Orleans.

Recent Examples of muffuletta from the Web

The muffuletta, made with prosciutto, capicola, shaved Parmesan, and olive salad, could easily be mistaken for an extra-spicy Italian combo.

— hannah goldfield, The New Yorker, "Lowerline and Café Booqoo Translate Classics of New Orleans Cuisine," 28 June 2018
Muffuletta New Orleans fans know the city produces the very best thing to bring on an airplane: muffuletta.

— alex van buren, Health.com, "10 Snacks a Food Writer Packs for Day Hikes and Car Trips," 6 June 2018
Invented by Sicilian immigrants in New Orleans at the turn of the 20th century, the muffaletta (also commonly spelled muffuletta) is a hallmark of New Orleans butcher shop and sandwich counter Cochon Butcher.

— paula forbes, GQ, "A Well-Crafted Muffaletta Is the Perfect Sandwich," 29 May 2018
After the dance, the queen, maids and on-lookers enjoyed Italian cookies, muffulettas and refreshments.

— sue strachan, NOLA.com, "Tarantella, cookies and amore: Italian American Marching Club Pre-Parade Party," 6 Mar. 2018
The bakery also turns out pistolettes and round loaves for muffuletta sandwiches.

— contributing writer, NOLA.com, "They wanted to build a better po-boy. So they called this guy.," 18 Apr. 2018
The inside’s like an Italian muffuletta, anchored by black olive tapenade with salami, ham, provolone, cheddar, lettuce, tomato and Italian dressing.

— mike sutter, San Antonio Express-News, "5 San Antonio sandwiches to eat right now," 2 Apr. 2018
Make like a muffuletta and apply pressure with a heavy book or a handful of dry sandwiches.

— tyler kord, Bon Appetit, "In Defense of the Soggy Sandwich," 26 Feb. 2018
Catering samples included seafood dip, mini muffulettas, and crawfish pies, among others.

— ann benoit, NOLA.com, "Randazzo's Joel Forjet bakes from Violet to North Shore with love," 18 Oct. 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of muffuletta

probably from Italian dialect, from Italian muffoletta little muff, diminutive of muffola muff, from French moufle, from Middle French

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First Known Use: 1967

in the meaning defined above

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