ratatouille

noun

ra·​ta·​tou·​ille ˌra-ˌta-ˈtü-ē  -ˈtwē 

ˌrä-ˌtä-

: a seasoned stew made of eggplant, tomatoes, green peppers, squash, and sometimes meat

Examples of ratatouille in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The wide and shallow make of this casserole dish is a hefty $120 off and just the right vehicle for dishes that are better crisp—stuffings, mac and cheese, ratatouille, the list goes on. —Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 1 Dec. 2025

Eggplant can also be lightly coated in olive oil and herbs, then grilled until tender, or included in recipes like ratatouille and casseroles. —Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, Health, 29 Sep. 2025

For a delightful seasonal meal here, book a table at Five Little Pigs (a reference to one of Christie’s novels) that may include a Scotch egg, a dry-aged steak, or a ratatouille pancake. —Chloe Arrojado, AFAR Media, 26 Sep. 2025

Recommended: The ratatouille egg yolk, comte, gochugaru and crostini. —Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, "dish of chopped food, stew" (18th century), noun derivative crossing ratouiller "to agitate (water), stir, shake" and tatouiller "to shake, beat, handle excessively," both expressive forms of touiller "to stir," going back to Old French tooillier "to agitate, stir up, soil" — more at toil entry 2

First Known Use

circa 1877, in the meaning defined above