street food

noun

plural street foods

: prepared food of a kind that is typically sold to customers on a street or sidewalk and that is often designed to be carried and eaten while walking

Pizza is quintessentially a street food: a quick lunch or a quick snack often eaten standing up or on the go.

—Don Lesser

Traditionally eaten as street food, empanadas are ideal for snacking on the go but are just as satisfying to sit down to for a simple dinner.

—Melissa Roberts and Maggie Ruggiero

Satays, which are skewered and grilled morsels of beef, fish, chicken, pork, or vegetables, are street food in Southeast Asia, devoured day and night with gusto.

—Karen MacNeil

Examples of street food in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Sample Thai and Cambodian street food at Apsara or Tokyo-style ramen at Sakari. —Amanda Ogle, Southern Living, 16 Dec. 2024

One of Florida’s very best weekend markets takes over the parking lot by Al Lang Stadium every Saturday morning as locals and visitors descend to browse fresh flowers and produce, sample international street food, stock up on handmade soaps, and browse scores of stalls selling so much more. —Terry Ward, Travel + Leisure, 15 Dec. 2024

Inspired by Mexican street food, this item features al pastor chicken in a cheesy street sized quesalupa shell and topped with onion and cilantro. —Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 24 Oct. 2024

Or exploring a market in Thailand, where the scents of fresh jasmine and street food mingle in the air. —Cepee Tabibian, Contributor, CNBC, 7 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

street food

noun

: prepared food of a kind that is typically sold to customers on a street or sidewalk and that is often designed to be carried and eaten while walking