semla

S1E1M3L1A1
/ˈsɛmlə/

noun

A pastry with a cream and almond paste filling, traditionally eaten on Shrove Tuesday in Sweden, Finland and Estonia.

OriginSwedish semla ← Latin simila →
Scrabble 7
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Meanings

nounsemla (plural semlas)

plural semlas

  1. A pastry with a cream and almond paste filling, traditionally eaten on Shrove Tuesday in Sweden, Finland and Estonia.

Origin

  1. Latinsimila“finest quality wheat flour”
  2. Swedishsemla
  3. Englishsemla

From Swedish semla, ultimately from Latin simila (“finest quality wheat flour”), through Old Swedish. Doublet of semola and semel; compare semolina.

More words from Swedish, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Danish fastelavnsbolle
  • fastelavnsbolleSwedish pastry eaten on Shrove Tuesday
Dutch semla
  • semlaSwedish pastry eaten on Shrove Tuesday
Estonian vastlakukkel
  • vastlakukkelSwedish pastry eaten on Shrove Tuesday
Finnish laskiaispulla
  • laskiaispullaSwedish pastry eaten on Shrove Tuesday
French semla
  • semlaSwedish pastry eaten on Shrove Tuesday
German Semla
  • SemlaSwedish pastry eaten on Shrove Tuesday
Japanese セムラ
  • セムラ (semura)Swedish pastry eaten on Shrove Tuesday
Korean 셈라
  • 셈라 (semna)Swedish pastry eaten on Shrove Tuesday
Norwegian Bokmål fastelavnsbolle
  • fastelavnsbolleSwedish pastry eaten on Shrove Tuesday
Polish semla
  • semlaSwedish pastry eaten on Shrove Tuesday
Russian се́мла
  • се́мла (sémla)Swedish pastry eaten on Shrove Tuesday
Spanish semla
  • semlaSwedish pastry eaten on Shrove Tuesday
Swedish semla, fastlagsbulle
  • semlaSwedish pastry eaten on Shrove Tuesday
  • fastlagsbulleSwedish pastry eaten on Shrove Tuesday
  • fettisdagsbulleSwedish pastry eaten on Shrove Tuesday

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

SalemmalesSelmaSmaleSmealmelaslames
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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