couscous

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UK/ˈkʊs.kʊs/UK/ˈkuːs.kuːs/US/ˈkus.kus/

noun

A pasta of North African origin made of crushed and steamed semolina.

OriginFrench couscous ← Arabic كُسْكُس ← Berber →
UncommonScrabble 12
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Meanings

nouncouscous (countable and uncountable, plural couscouses)

plural couscouses · alternative dated cuscousou · alternative dated cuscusu

  1. countableuncountableA pasta of North African origin made of crushed and steamed semolina.

    Karou took the plate of couscous and vegetables.

    2012, Laini Taylor, Days of Blood & Starlight, →ISBN

Origin

  1. Berber
  2. Arabicكُسْكُس
  3. Frenchcouscous
  4. Englishcouscous

Borrowed from French couscous, from Arabic كُسْكُس (kuskus), from a Berber language. First use appears c. 1593.

More words from French, Arabic, Berber

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic كُسْكُس
  • كُسْكُس (kuskus)pasta of North African origin
Bengali কুসকুস
  • কুসকুস (kuśokus)pasta of North African origin
Catalan cuscús
  • cuscúspasta of North African origin
Chinese Mandarin 蒸粗麥粉 /蒸粗麦粉, 古斯米
  • 蒸粗麥粉 /蒸粗麦粉 (zhēngcūmàifěn)pasta of North African origin
  • 古斯米 (gǔsīmǐ)pasta of North African origin
  • 中東米 /中东米 (zhōngdōngmǐ)pasta of North African origin
Czech kuskus
  • kuskuspasta of North African origin
Dutch couscous
  • couscouspasta of North African origin
Esperanto kuskuso
  • kuskusopasta of North African origin
Finnish kuskus
  • kuskuspasta of North African origin
French couscous
  • couscouspasta of North African origin
German Couscous, Kuskus
  • Couscouspasta of North African origin
  • Kuskuspasta of North African origin
  • Kuskusupasta of North African origin
Hebrew כּוּסְכּוּס
  • כּוּסְכּוּס (kus'kús)pasta of North African origin
Hindi कुसकुस
  • कुसकुस (kuskus)pasta of North African origin
Hungarian kuszkusz
  • kuszkuszpasta of North African origin
Icelandic kúskús
  • kúskúspasta of North African origin
Irish cúscús
  • cúscúspasta of North African origin
Italian cuscus
  • cuscuspasta of North African origin
Japanese クスクス
  • クスクス (kusukusu)pasta of North African origin
Korean 쿠스쿠스
  • 쿠스쿠스 (kuseukuseu)pasta of North African origin
Persian کوسکوس
  • کوسکوس (kuskus)pasta of North African origin
Polish kuskus
  • kuskuspasta of North African origin
Portuguese cuscuz
  • cuscuzpasta of North African origin
Romanian cușcuș
  • cușcușpasta of North African origin
Russian куску́с
  • куску́с (kuskús)pasta of North African origin
Spanish cuscús, couscous
  • cuscúspasta of North African origin
  • couscouspasta of North African origin
  • kuskúspasta of North African origin
  • cus-cuspasta of North African origin
  • cuzcuzpasta of North African origin
  • alcuzcuzpasta of North African origin
Swedish couscous
  • couscouspasta of North African origin
Turkish kuskus
  • kuskuspasta of North African origin
Welsh cwscws
  • cwscwspasta of North African origin
Cite this entry
APA

couscous. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/couscous

MLA

“couscous.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/couscous. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “couscous,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/couscous.

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