pilaf

UK: /ˈpɪlæf/ US: /ˈpilɑf, pɪˈlɑf/ ,(pi läf′, pē′läf )

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

pi•laf or pi•laff /ˈpilɑf, pɪˈlɑf/  also pi•lau /ˈpilɑf, -lɔ, -laʊ, pɪˈlɑf, -ˈlɔ, -ˈlaʊ/   n. [uncountable]

1. Food a Middle Eastern dish of rice cooked in bouillon, sometimes with meat or shellfish.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

pi•laf  (pi läf′, pē′läf ), n. 

1. Food a Middle Eastern dish consisting of sautéed, seasoned rice steamed in bouillon, sometimes with poultry, meat or shellfish.
2. Food rice cooked in a meat or poultry broth.

Also, pi•laff′, pilau, pilaw. 

• Persian pilāw
• Turkish pilâv
• 1925–30

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

pi•lau  (pi läf′, pē′läf, pi lô′, -lou′, pē′lô, -lou), n. 

1. Food pilaf.

Also, pi•law′. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

pilau / pɪˈlaʊ/, pilaf, pilaff / ˈpɪlæf/, pilao / pɪˈlaʊ/, pilaw / pɪˈlɔː/, pulao / pʊˈlaʊ/ noun

1. a dish originating from the East, consisting of rice flavoured with spices and cooked in stock, to which meat, poultry, or fish may be added

Etymology: 17th Century: from Turkish pilāw, from Persian