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Definition of pancetta

pancetta

/pænˈtʃɛt.ə/
pan · cet · ta
Plural:pancettas
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pancetta Lexical Profile

pancetta Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

An Italian culinary staple consisting of salt-cured pork belly meat, typically seasoned with black pepper and other spices, and traditionally left unsmoked.

Example

"The chef crisped up the diced pancetta in a hot skillet before tossing it into the traditional carbonara sauce."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for pancetta

Word Nuance & Usage

Pancetta is often confused with bacon; however, while both are derived from pork belly, traditional pancetta is salt-cured and spiced but unsmoked, whereas American bacon is heavily smoked.

• Rhymes for pancetta

• Nearby Words

pancake
pancake tortoise
pancava
pancetta
panchax
pancratium
pancreas

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed from Italian 'pancetta', meaning 'little belly', which is a diminutive of 'pancia' (belly), ultimately derived from the Latin 'pantex' (paunch).

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Pancetta. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/pancetta
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