polenta

noun

po·​len·​ta pō-ˈlen-tə 

pə-,

-ˌtä

: mush made of chestnut meal, cornmeal, semolina, or farina

Examples of polenta in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The prawn and polenta, another small bite dish, also differs from its cousin shrimp and grits. —Louisa Kung Liu Chu, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2025

The popular Philadelphia restaurant woos diners with French-American fare — and the RW lunch ($35) and dinner ($65) menus look tempting with mussels in carrot-harissa broth or chicken with polenta and black garlic jus. —Anna Spiegel, Axios, 21 Jan. 2025

Serve with creamy polenta or grits and a large, crunchy salad and voila! —Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 31 Jan. 2025

The buffet style menu includes polenta to combine with Aosta Valley meats, lasagna, mixed salad, and local salami and cheeses. —Joanne Shurvell, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Italian, from Latin, crushed and hulled barley; akin to Latin pollen fine flour

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

polenta

noun

po·​len·​ta pō-ˈlen-tə 

: mush made of chestnut meal, cornmeal, or grain

Biographical Definition

Polenta

biographical name

Po·​len·​ta pō-ˈlen-tə 

Francesca da died 1283(or 1284) Francesca da Rimini ˌfran-ˈche-skə-dä-ˈri-mə-(ˌ)nē 

ˌfrän-,

-ˈrē-

Italian noblewoman famous for tragic adulterous love affair