Meanings
plural musubis
- countableuncountableA ball of rice covered with nori (in Japanese cuisine, including in Hawaii), to which meat or salted or fermented vegetables are often added, differing from sushi in that the rice is not vinegared.
Unlike sushi, musubi is neither vinegared nor sweetened.
1996, Rachel Laudan, The Food of Paradise: Exploring Hawaii's Culinary Heritage, page 531 more example
Even the fact that it can be carved is endearing because it makes Spam easy to shape for sushi and musubi.
2006, Alan Davidson, The Oxford Companion to Food, OUP Oxford, →ISBNSynonyms: onigiri
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA ball of rice covered with nori (in Japanese cuisine, including in Hawaii), to which meat or salted or fermented vegetables are often added, differing from sushi in that the rice is not vinegared.
Origin
- Japanese結び“rice ball”
- Englishmusubi
From Japanese 結び (musubi, “rice ball”).
More words from Japanese
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
musubi. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/musubi
“musubi.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/musubi. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “musubi,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/musubi.
Source: musubi on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.