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Although the earliest evidence of the word poutine in an English publication is from 1982, historical accounts of the dish itself date to several decades earlier when someone had the brilliant idea to add rural Quebec's much-loved fresh cheese curds to (also much-loved) French fries. Whether the gravy came a few years later or was present ab ovo is disputed. Also unclear is the origin of the word by which the dish is known. Some assert that poutine is related to the English word pudding, but a more popular etymology is that it's from a Quebecois slang word meaning "mess." The dish has in recent years been making inroads on American menus.
Examples of poutine in a Sentence
Keith Pandolfi, The Enquirer, 23 Feb. 2024
Other menu items include an Angus beef patty melt ($15), poutine ($10) and a Cubano ($14).
—The Enquirer, 25 Jan. 2024
Go with the Louisville hot chicken sandwich, perhaps some poutine.
—David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 24 Jan. 2024
One great place to try them is the gastropub Fire & Hops, which tops its poutine with bacon, green chile, and white gravy.
—Katrina Brown Hunt, Travel + Leisure, 28 July 2023
But Toronto, where standing ovations are more popular than poutine, tends to be a welcoming environment.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 6 Sep. 2023
Bloody Snowball Like the poutine, the Bloody Snowball does not contain real blood, but does go along with the same snowy theme from the YETI house — and is perfect for those who want a little something sweet along with their savory snacks.
—Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 17 Aug. 2023
The event takes place throughout the concourse at Nationals Park (including Centerfield Plaza, Budweiser Brew House, Bud Light Loft and Budweiser Terrace), and over a dozen food trucks with offerings of poutine, empanadas and other snacks can be found throughout the stadium.
—Chris Kelly, Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2023
In addition, there'll be peri peri chicken, pretzels, pickles, naan, nyama, gumbo, jambalaya, burgers, poutine, egg rolls, sushi and scones.
—Frank E. Lockwood, Arkansas Online, 28 Oct. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'poutine.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Canadian French
1982, in the meaning defined above
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Cite this Entry
“Poutine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poutine. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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