ravioli

noun

rav·​i·​o·​li ˌra-vē-ˈō-lē 

ˌrä-

plural ravioli also raviolis ˌra-vē-ˈō-lēz 

ˌrä-

: pasta in the form of little cases of dough containing a savory filling (as of meat or cheese)

Examples of ravioli in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Pasta selections include spaghetti with meat sauce, fettuccini alfredo, ravioli al pomodoro and penne alla vodka. —Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Sep. 2025

Other popular choices are the ravioli stuffed with lobster and served with tarragon pesto sauce and bisque foam; the seafood and basil risotto, and the puff pastry millefeuille filled with eggplant cream and coming with tomato panzanella salad and Espelette pepper. —Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2025

Spraying your pasta sheets will help seal ravioli perfectly. —Jenn Rice, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025

Standouts include a lobster ravioli in a lobster cream sauce topped with shrimp ($26) and a delicious fiocchi alla pera, pasta pockets filled with pear and ricotta in a creamy sauce with a hint of gorgonzola. —Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Italian, from Italian dialect, plural of raviolo, literally, little turnip, diminutive of rava turnip, from Latin rapa — more at rape entry 3

First Known Use

1760, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ravioli

• carbazole
• gladioli
• guacamole
• nucleoli
• acholi
• emboli
• sertoli
• unholy
• benzimidazole
• dipyridamole
• itraconazole
• ketoconazole

Kids Definition

ravioli

noun

rav·​i·​o·​li ˌrav-ē-ˈō-lē 

ˌräv-

plural ravioli also raviolis

-lēz

: little pockets of pasta with a filling (as of meat or cheese)

Etymology

Italian, from a plural of a dialect word raviolo, literally, "little turnip"