What does rotisserie mean?
A rotisserie is a cooking device or establishment in which meat or poultry is roasted on a slowly turning spit. The continuous rotation exposes different sides to the heat and allows the exterior to brown while the interior cooks through, producing meat that is comparatively tender and evenly cooked. In contemporary English, the word is especially associated with supermarket and deli food: “rotisserie chicken” commonly refers to a whole chicken cooked and sold by this method. It can also denote the appliance itself, such as a rotisserie oven, or the counter where the prepared food is displayed. Although the term comes from a French word associated with roasting, it is now common in both British and American English and is especially useful for describing a distinctive cooking process and the ready-prepared food associated with it.
nounA cooking apparatus in which meat or poultry is roasted on a revolving spit, or a restaurant or supermarket section where such food is prepared and sold. The word is also used attributively for food cooked this way, especially “rotisserie chicken.”
- A device or oven for cooking meat or poultry on a rotating spit.
- A restaurant or supermarket area where meat is roasted and sold, especially chicken.
- Food cooked in this manner, especially chicken prepared on a rotating spit.
"We bought a rotisserie chicken and a salad for lunch."
"The rotisserie at the back of the shop slowly turned six golden chickens."
"They ordered rotisserie chicken, coleslaw, and a roll for lunch."
The plural is used for separate appliances, establishments, or food counters.
"Several restaurants have rotisseries in their dining rooms."
The rotisserie turns the idea of roasting into a slow spectacle: meat circles on a spit, keeping its surface crisp while cooking evenly inside.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does rotisserie come from?
The word entered English from French rôtisserie, a noun derived from rôtir, meaning “to roast.” French rôtir is historically related to the word “roast” in English, though the English word follows its own older Germanic development. The compound came to denote first the arrangement or appliance used for roasting on a spit and later the shop or business where such roasting was carried out.
Related word forms
How rotisserie is actually used
In everyday English, “rotisserie” most often refers to the cooking method or to rotisserie chicken. The broader sense of a shop or food counter is somewhat less common, especially in British usage.