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Definition of pad thai

pad thai

Plural:pad thais
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pad thai Lexical Profile

• noun

1

A classic Thai stir-fried noodle dish commonly served as street food and at restaurants worldwide, typically made with flat rice noodles, egg, peanuts, bean sprouts, and protein such as shrimp, chicken, or tofu, all tossed in a sweet and savory tamarind-based sauce.

Example

"For dinner, we decided to order vegetable spring rolls and two large portions of chicken pad thai."

• Nearby Words

package
pacu
pad
pad thai
paddlefish
paddlewheel
paddlewheeler

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed from Thai ผัดไทย (pàt-tai), literally meaning 'Thai stir-fry'. The dish was heavily promoted in Thailand during the 1930s and 1940s by Prime Minister Plaek Phibunsongkhram as part of a campaign to foster national identity and reduce rice consumption.

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Pad thai. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 12, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/pad thai
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