maki

noun

ma·​ki ˈmä-kē 

plural maki also makis

: sushi roll

Unlike the spicy tuna maki that are tightly rolled up with a bamboo mat and then sliced into six or eight tidy drums compressed inside a skin of nori, temaki are shaped by fingers and palms, without the aid of any tool.

—Pete Wells

Examples of maki in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

From the sushi bar find sashimi, oysters and inventive maki such as unagi with mascarpone or the classic honey walnut shrimp as a tempura roll. —Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 10 Dec. 2024

Outside Kaito, sits a long sushi bar serving sashimi, maki, nigiri, and thick udon noodles to slurp. —Lewis Nunn, Forbes, 4 Sep. 2024

An assortment of raw, grilled, and fried (tempura) dishes await in addition to maki rolls, sushi, and sashimi. —Essence, 13 Aug. 2024

Guests can also order maki (sushi rolls) with snow crab, spicy yellowfin tuna and truffle hamachi ranging in price from $18 to $26. —Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 22 July 2024

Classic maki, nigiri and sashimi are fresh and beautifully presented, and starters like gyoza, creamy crab wontons and tuna tartare kick things off on a delicious note. —Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 22 July 2024

The more specialty maki rolls are under $14 — a price point that is increasingly rare amongst Charlotte’s growing culinary scene. —Kayleigh Ruller, Charlotte Observer, 24 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Ojibwa mano·mini· (manoominii), literally, "wild rice people," derivative of mano·min (manoomin) "wild rice"

Note: According to the Handbook of North American Indians, vol. 15, Northeast (Smithsonian Institution, 1978), p. 723, "the Menominee name for themselves, omɛ·ʔnomene·w is of obscure etymology but is clearly not derived from their word mano·meh 'wild rice'."

First Known Use

1979, in the meaning defined above