Israeli couscous

noun

A kind of toasted pasta from Israel, shaped like little balls; an Israeli national food.

Similar
ptitimpearl couscouspearled couscous
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Meanings

nounIsraeli couscous (uncountable)
  1. USuncountableA kind of toasted pasta from Israel, shaped like little balls; an Israeli national food.

    Synonyms: ptitim, pearl couscous, pearled couscous

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA kind of toasted pasta from Israel, shaped like little balls; an Israeli national food.

Similar
ptitimpearl couscouspearled couscous
Also see
pearl couscouspearled couscousptitim

Origin

From Israeli + couscous. Coined by Osem for a spherical version of their initially orzo-like product, originally invented in 1953 after a request from Prime Minister David Ben Gurion to devise a rice substitute during austerity in Israel.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Israeli couscous. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Israeli%20couscous

MLA

“Israeli couscous.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Israeli%20couscous. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Israeli couscous,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Israeli%20couscous.

Source: Israeli couscous on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.