Meanings
plural gnocchis · singular gnocco
- countableplural normallyuncountableItalian pasta-like dumpling(s) made of potato or semolina.
Test one gnocchi by placing it in a large pot of rapidly boiling lightly salted water.
1999, Thomas Keller, The French Laundry Cookbook, Artisan, →ISBN, page 1192 more examples
Dip each gnocco into the flour, shaking off excess. Carefully lower the gnocchi, one at a time, into the simmering water. Cook a few at a time since they must not touch each other while cooking. The gnocchi will be cooked when they rise to the surface; this should take 2 to 3 minutes, depending on the gnocchi.
1978, Nika Hazelton, The Regional Italian Kitchen, M. Evans and Company, Inc., →ISBN, page 129Silky, feather-light and with an other-worldly texture, home-made gnocchi is one of the most spoiling things you can make for someone, yet it is surprisingly simple to put together, especially when just for two.
2017, Thomasina Miers, Home Cook: Over 300 Delicious, Fuss-Free Recipes, London: Guardian Books; Faber & Faber Ltd, →ISBN, page 159Synonyms: macaroni
Synonyms & antonyms
nounItalian pasta-like dumpling(s) made of potato or semolina.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*gnew-“knot, bundle”
- Proto-Germanic*knukô“bone”
- Lombardicknohha“knuckle, bone, knot”
- Italiangnocchi
- Englishgnocchi
From Italian gnocchi, plural of gnocco (“dumpling”, literally “lump”), related to nocchio (“knot (in wood)”), a borrowing from Lombardic knohha (“knuckle, bone, knot”), from Proto-Germanic *knukô (“bone”), *kneukaz (“tuber, knuckle”), from Proto-Indo-European *gnew- (“knot, bundle”). Cognate with Middle High German knoche (“bone, knot”) (modern German Knochen), Middle Dutch knoke (“knuckle, knob, knot”), Swedish knoge (“knuckle”). More at knuckle.
More words from Italian, Lombardic, Proto-Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic نْيُوكِّي
- نْيُوكِّي (nyūkkī)pasta-like dumplings
Chinese Mandarin 玉棋, 意大利糰子 /意大利团子
- 玉棋 (yùqí)pasta-like dumplings
- 意大利糰子 /意大利团子 (Yìdàlì tuánzi)pasta-like dumplings
Esperanto nokoj
- nokojpasta-like dumplings
Finnish gnocchi
- gnocchipasta-like dumplings
French gnocchis
- gnocchispasta-like dumplings
German Nocken, Nockerln
- Nockenpasta-like dumplings
- Nockerlnpasta-like dumplings
- Gnocchipasta-like dumplings
Hungarian gnocchi
- gnocchipasta-like dumplings
Italian gnocco
- gnoccopasta-like dumplings
Japanese ニョッキ
- ニョッキ (nyokki)pasta-like dumplings
Korean 뇨키
- 뇨키 (nyoki)pasta-like dumplings
Polish gnocchi
- gnocchipasta-like dumplings
Portuguese gnocchi, nhoque
- gnocchipasta-like dumplings
- nhoquepasta-like dumplings
Russian ньо́ки
- ньо́ки (nʹóki)pasta-like dumplings
Spanish ñoquis, ñoqui
- ñoquispasta-like dumplings
- ñoquipasta-like dumplings
Tagalog niyoki
- niyokipasta-like dumplings
Ukrainian ньо́кі
- ньо́кі (nʹóki)pasta-like dumplings
Cite this entry
gnocchi. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gnocchi
“gnocchi.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gnocchi. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gnocchi,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gnocchi.
Source: gnocchi on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.