panini

noun

pa·​ni·​ni pə-ˈnē-nē How to pronounce panini (audio)
variants or less commonly panino
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.

On each visit, someone at our table invariably orders a paniniJodi Wright
At the back of the shop are paninis, freshly brewed coffee and two tubs of homemade soups.M. H. Reed

Examples of panini in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The restaurant also has flatbreads and paninis, both starting at $12. Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 7 Mar. 2024 Other menu items include paninis, calzones, stromboli and salads. The Arizona Republic, 4 Mar. 2024 Many have decided to modernize for the 21st century by providing salads, wraps and paninis. Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 12 Jan. 2024 The key, Ehsan excitedly shows me some weeks later, is that every burrito goes into a panini press. Travis M. Andrews, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024 Use in pasta dishes, paninis, pitas, sandwiches, salads, and more. Karen Schroeder-Rankin, Southern Living, 22 Oct. 2023 Not all the recipes emerge from the French repertoire though: paninis, pita breads, pizza, and even bagels have their place in the volume. Sylvie Bigar, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 The 1,631 square-foot shop will sell fresh juices, acai bowls, smoothies, salads, and paninis, Palladio at Broadstone wrote in a news release. Brianna Taylor, Sacramento Bee, 16 Feb. 2024 The Foltz Family Market’s panini are impressive ... and impressively big — a half order is plenty for one. Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'panini.' 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

Italian, diminutive of pane bread, from Latin panis — more at food

First Known Use

1955, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of panini was in 1955

Dictionary Entries Near panini

Cite this Entry

“Panini.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/panini. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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