What does kebob mean?
A kebob is seasoned meat, commonly accompanied by vegetables, that is threaded onto a skewer and grilled, roasted, or cooked over an open flame. The term may designate the complete skewer, the food on it, or an individual serving. Kebobs are associated with Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, South Asian, and Central Asian cuisines, although modern kebabs often use a broader range of meats and seasonings. Doner kebab, in which finely sliced meat is cooked on a rotating vertical spit, is especially associated with Turkish cuisine. In North American English, kebob is the customary spelling, while kebab is preferred in British English and is also widely used internationally. The word also appears in the computing term kebab case, meaning a style of writing compound names with hyphens between words. Its culinary and linguistic histories reflect the movement of food, cooking methods, and vocabulary across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
nounA skewer of seasoned meat, often with vegetables, cooked over a flame; by extension, the grilled food itself.
- A skewer of seasoned meat, often with vegetables, grilled or roasted over a flame; by extension, the cooked food itself.
"They shared a platter of chicken kebobs with flatbread and a cooling yogurt sauce."
"The restaurant serves lamb kebobs with herbs, garlic sauce, and warm pita."
"In software development, kebab case denotes a naming style in which words are separated by hyphens."
Used as a count noun; the plural takes -s.
"The stall sells vegetable kebobs, chicken kebobs, and spicy mixed kebobs."
A kebob carries an international travel history in its name: the word reached English through Turkish, whose kebap was borrowed from Arabic.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of kebob
English borrowed the word from Turkish kebap, which in turn came from Arabic kabāb, a term associated with grilling or frying. Arabic forms of the word passed through Persian before becoming established in Turkish. The English spellings kebab and kebob both reflect this borrowing, with kebob now favored chiefly in North American usage.
How kebob is actually used
Normally countable, with the plural kebobs. A kebob may refer either to the skewer and its contents as a whole or to the portion of food served on it.
Easily confused with kebob
Kebab and kebob are variant spellings of the same food, but kebob is chiefly used in North American English.