What does sizzler mean?
A sizzler is a dish, usually containing meat, that is served on an extremely hot plate and continues to sizzle while it is eaten. The name describes both the food and the eating experience: diners may hear a sharp hiss and see steam rising as the hot surface works against the cooler contents of the plate. In another use, a sizzler is a restaurant or food outlet specializing in dishes served this way. The word is informal and occurs particularly in restaurant, takeaway, and menu contexts. It is also sometimes used in the broader sense of a hot plate or platter intended to produce this effect. A meal does not need to be especially spicy to be a sizzler; the defining feature is that it continues to sizzle when served.
A dish, especially one containing meat, served on a hot plate so that it continues to sizzle at the table.
"We shared a steak sizzler with two sides of vegetables."
Common in informal restaurant and menu terminology.
A restaurant or food outlet that serves dishes on hot plates so that they sizzle.
"The sizzler is open late and does not take reservations."
Less common than the sense of a sizzling dish.
Used when referring to multiple dishes of this kind or multiple establishments serving them.
"The menu offers several sizzlers for diners who want a hot meal."
A sizzler announces itself before you see it: the food arrives with a lively hiss and a dramatic plume of steam.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sizzler come from?
The word is formed from the verb sizzle and the suffix -er, meaning a thing or person associated with that action. Sizzle is an imitative word whose sound suggests the high-pitched hiss produced by food or metal at high heat. The development of sizzler as a name for food served on a hot plate followed from this association between the dish and its characteristic sound.
How sizzler is actually used
Informal, especially in restaurant and menu terminology. The name usually refers to food served so hot that it visibly or audibly sizzles, rather than merely to a hot meal.