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Definition of rotini

rotini

/roʊˈtiːni/
ro · ti · ni
Plural:rotini
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rotini Lexical Profile

rotini Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A type of short, extruded pasta shaped like tight corkscrews or spirals, commonly used in pasta salads and baked dishes because its grooves hold sauces well.

Example

"She tossed the chilled rotini with cherry tomatoes, diced cucumbers, black olives, and a tangy Italian vinaigrette."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for rotini

Word Nuance & Usage

In North America, 'rotini' and 'fusilli' are often used interchangeably, though rotini typically refers to extruded pasta with tighter, shorter spirals, whereas traditional fusilli is formed by twisting strands into a looser corkscrew.

• Rhymes for rotini

• Nearby Words

rotgut
roti
rotifer
rotini
rotisserie
rotor
rototill

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed from southern Italian dialect 'rotini' (literally 'small wheels' or 'twists'), a diminutive plural derived from Latin 'rota' ('wheel').

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

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