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Definition of pesto

pesto

/ˈpɛstoʊ/
pes · to
Plural:pestos
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pesto Lexical Profile

pesto Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A vibrant green sauce originating from Genoa, Italy, traditionally made by crushing together fresh basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan or pecorino cheese, and olive oil.

Example

"She tossed the freshly boiled pasta with a generous spoonful of homemade basil pesto."

• Rhymes for pesto

• Nearby Words

pesticide
pestilence
pestle
pesto
pesty
pet
petal

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed from Italian 'pesto' (literally 'pounded' or 'crushed'), which is the past participle of 'pestare' (to pound), tracing back to the Late Latin 'pistare'.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

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