# patty

/ˈpæti/ (US) · /pˈæti/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/patty
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. food

noun · CEFR B1

a flat, round piece of meat or vegetables that is cooked and often served in a burger.

For teachers: a flattened, usually disc-shaped portion of ground meat or a plant-based equivalent, intended for grilling or frying.

- He placed the beef patty on the grill and waited for it to sizzle.
- The chef prepared a house-made black bean patty, seasoned with cumin and smoked paprika, as a hearty alternative to the traditional burger.

### 2. Jamaican pastry

noun · CEFR B2

a spicy Caribbean snack made of meat or vegetables inside a yellow, flaky pastry shell.

For teachers: a traditional Jamaican pastry containing various spiced fillings, characterised by a flaky crust often tinted yellow with turmeric.

- I bought a spicy beef patty from the Caribbean bakery for lunch.
- The golden-crusted Jamaican patty remains a staple of island street food, prized for its portable size and potent blend of scotch bonnet peppers.

## Examples

- He flips the beef patty on the grill.
- The chef offers a spicy black bean patty as a delicious alternative for customers who do not eat meat.
- While the traditional American burger features a ground beef patty, many regional cuisines utilize similar techniques to create seafood cakes or spiced lentil discs served on toasted buns.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.