saganaki

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US/ˌsɑɡəˈnɑki/US/ˌsæɡəˈnɑki/UK/ˌsæɡəˈnɑːki/

noun

Any of various Greek dishes cooked in a small frying pan, especially an appetizer of pan-seared cheese.

OriginGreek σαγανάκι ← Turkish sahan ← Arabic صَحْن →
Scrabble 13
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Meanings

nounsaganaki (uncountable)
  1. uncountableAny of various Greek dishes cooked in a small frying pan, especially an appetizer of pan-seared cheese.

    We had discovered a mutual appreciation for saganaki, that artery busting, salt laden, fried goat's cheese.

    2005, Sean Dooley, The Big Twitch, Sydney: Allen and Unwin, page 1

Origin

  1. Arabicصَحْن
  2. Turkishsahan“dish, pan”
  3. Greekσαγανάκι
  4. Englishsaganaki

Borrowed from Greek σαγανάκι (saganáki, literally “little frying pan”), diminutive form of σαγάνι (sagáni, “double-handled pan”), from Turkish sahan (“dish, pan”), from Arabic صَحْن (ṣaḥn).

More words from Greek, Turkish, Arabic

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 油炸奶酪
  • 油炸奶酪 (yóuzhá nǎilào)a Greek dish cooked in a frying pan, espescially a cheese appetizer
Finnish saganaki
  • saganakia Greek dish cooked in a frying pan, espescially a cheese appetizer
German Saganaki
  • Saganakia Greek dish cooked in a frying pan, espescially a cheese appetizer
Greek σαγανάκι
  • σαγανάκι (saganáki)a Greek dish cooked in a frying pan, espescially a cheese appetizer
Japanese サガナキ
  • サガナキ (saganaki)a Greek dish cooked in a frying pan, espescially a cheese appetizer
Korean 사가나키
  • 사가나키 (saganaki)a Greek dish cooked in a frying pan, espescially a cheese appetizer
Russian сагана́ки
  • сагана́ки (saganáki)a Greek dish cooked in a frying pan, espescially a cheese appetizer

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

NagasakiGianakas
Cite this entry
APA

saganaki. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/saganaki

MLA

“saganaki.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/saganaki. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “saganaki,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/saganaki.

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