halva

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US/hɑːlˈvɑː/US/ˈhɑːlvɑː/US/ˈxɑːlvə/

noun

A confection usually made from crushed sesame seeds and honey. It is a traditional dessert in South Asia, the Mediterranean and the Middle East.

UncommonScrabble 11

Meanings

nounhalva (countable and uncountable, plural halvas)

plural halvas · alternative khalva · alternative halava · alternative halavah · alternative halawa · alternative halaweh · alternative halvah · alternative halwa · alternative halwah · alternative hulwa

  1. countableuncountableA confection usually made from crushed sesame seeds and honey. It is a traditional dessert in South Asia, the Mediterranean and the Middle East.

    Just before Christmas, Ron Dermer, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, sent the White House a box of holiday gifts with a pointed political message. Inside were items (body lotion, halvah, olive oil) produced in Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

    2016 January 26, Eyal Press, “When ‘Made In Israel’ Is a Human Rights Abuse”, in The New York Times

Origin

  1. Arabicحَلْوَى
  2. Persianحلوا
  3. Ottoman Turkishحلوا
  4. Romanianhalva
  5. Yiddishחלווה
  6. Englishhalva

From Yiddish חלווה (khálva), from Romanian halva, from Ottoman Turkish حلوا (helva), from Persian حلوا (halvâ), from Arabic حَلْوَى (ḥalwā). Cognate with Halwai.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic حَلَاوَة طَحِيِنِيَّة, حَلْوَى شَامِيَّة
  • حَلَاوَة طَحِيِنِيَّة (ḥalāwa ṭaḥiyiniyya)confection
  • حَلْوَى شَامِيَّة (ḥalwā šāmiyya)confection
Bengali হালুয়া
  • হালুয়া (haluẏa)confection
Bulgarian халва́
  • халва́ (halvá)confection
Chinese Mandarin 哈爾瓦 /哈尔瓦
  • 哈爾瓦 /哈尔瓦 (hā'ěrwǎ)confection
Czech chalva
  • chalvaconfection
Dutch halva
  • halvaconfection
Estonian halvaa
  • halvaaconfection
Finnish halva
  • halvaconfection
French halva
  • halvaconfection
German Halva, Halwa
  • Halvaconfection
  • Halwaconfection
Greek χαλβάς
  • χαλβάς (chalvás)confection
Hebrew חַלְוָה
  • חַלְוָה (khalvá)confection
Hindi हलवा, मोहनभीग
  • हलवा (halvā)confection
  • मोहनभीग (mohanbhīg)confection
Hungarian halva
  • halvaconfection
Italian halva
  • halvaconfection
Japanese ハルバ, ハルヴァ
  • ハルバ (haruba)confection
  • ハルヴァ (haruva)confection
Korean 할바, 할와
  • 할바 (halba)confection
  • 할와 (harwa)confection
Latvian halva
  • halvaconfection
Lithuanian chalva
  • chalvaconfection
Malay halwa
  • halwaconfection
Persian حلوا
  • حلوا (halvâ)confection
Polish chałwa
  • chałwaconfection
Portuguese halvah
  • halvahconfection
Punjabi ਹਲਵਾ
  • ਹਲਵਾ (halvā)confection
Romanian halva
  • halvaconfection
Russian халва́
  • халва́ (xalvá)confection
Slovak chalva
  • chalvaconfection
Spanish halva
  • halvaconfection
Swedish halva, helva
  • halvaconfection
  • helvaconfection
Tamil ஹல்வா, அல்வா
  • ஹல்வா (halvā)confection
  • அல்வா (alvā)confection
Turkish helva, tahin helvası
  • helvaconfection
  • tahin helvasıconfection
Ukrainian халва́
  • халва́ (xalvá)confection
Urdu حلوہ
  • حلوہ (halvā)confection
Vietnamese bánh hanva, bánh mật
  • bánh hanvaconfection
  • bánh mậtconfection
Yiddish כאַלווע
  • כאַלווע (khalve)confection
Cite this entry
APA

halva. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/halva

MLA

“halva.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/halva. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “halva,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/halva.

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