panini

noun pa·ni·ni \ pə-ˈnē-nē \

variants: or less commonly panino play \pə-ˈnē-nō\

Updated on: 20 Apr 2018

Definition of panini

plural panini or paninis

: a usually grilled sandwich made with Italian bread

Note: Panini is a plural form in Italian but is commonly used as both a singular and a plural in English. Its use as a singular has given rise the variant plural form paninis. The use of panino as a singular form in English has become relatively uncommon as panini has become established as the usual singular.

Recent Examples of panini from the Web

Price: Starters and salads, $9-$14; flatbreads and panini, $11-$14; meatball bowls, $16-$18; desserts, $10.

— dominic armato, azcentral, "The Sicilian Butcher: 908 ways to eat meatballs at Maggiore's new Italian restaurant. But are they good?," 10 Apr. 2018
Other ideas include crisp-and-gooey halvah panini, or melting chocolate over blocks of halvah for a simple, showy dessert paired with fruit and nuts.

— amelia saltsman, latimes.com, "The addictive joy of the sesame confection halvah, made in Los Angeles," 16 Mar. 2018
Around the corner from the temple, Mug Shots Coffee House offers potent espresso drinks and warming panini and pastries in a cheerfully venerable brick building.

— peter fish, San Francisco Chronicle, "Road trip along Sierra Nevada’s Feather River," 16 Mar. 2018
Also on offer are standard street-style tacos for $2.50 a piece, an Italian panini ($10) and a long list of salads ($5-$11).

— mark kurlyandchik, Detroit Free Press, "First Look: 'Mexitalian' La Noria now serving grasshopper pizzas in Detroit," 16 Mar. 2018
Inspiration comes from travel: Sandwich shops in Italy spurred the idea to serve pizza and simple panini.

— danielle bernabe, Los Angeles Magazine, "Chefs Nancy Silverton and Matt Molina Are Opening a Roman Pizza Spot in Highland Park," 16 Jan. 2018
Salads, panini, wings, gelato and dessert pizzas are also available.

— robert philpot, star-telegram, "A new pizza place is open in Arlington. Find out when you can get a free pie. | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 26 Feb. 2018
There are more panini and big salads, too, including one with kale, roasted squash and candied pumpkin seeds in cranberry vinaigrette ($10).

— carol deptolla, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Miss Molly's feeds your inner cookie monster," 9 Jan. 2018
Choose among options ranging from the basic quesillo (shredded cheese) to a Biscayan style cod panini.

— Bloomberg.com, "28 Delicious Dishes Around the World for $5 or Less," 13 Feb. 2018

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