# pizza

/ˈpitsə/ (US) · /pˈiːtsɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/pizza
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. the food in general

noun · CEFR A1

a flat, round bread topped with tomato, cheese, and meat or vegetables, then baked in an oven.

For teachers: an Italian dish consisting of a flattened disk of bread dough topped with various ingredients and baked at a high temperature.

- We usually have pizza for dinner on Friday nights.
- Authentic Neapolitan pizza requires a specific type of flour and a wood-fired oven to achieve its characteristic charred crust.

### 2. a single whole item

noun · CEFR A1

one whole round pizza.

For teachers: a single, discrete instance of the dish, often used when ordering or counting.

- They ordered three large pizzas for the office party.
- The courier struggled to balance four pizzas on his bike while navigating the narrow city streets.

### 3. skiing position

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

a way of positioning your skis in a 'V' shape to slow down.

For teachers: a beginner's skiing maneuver, also known as the snowplow, where the tips of the skis are pointed toward each other to reduce speed.

- The instructor told the children to make a pizza shape with their skis to stop.
- While advanced skiers prefer parallel turns, beginners often rely on the pizza position to maintain control on steeper gradients.

Usage: Often used as a command or a noun in instructional contexts.

## Examples

- We usually order a large cheese pizza on Friday nights.
- The local restaurant serves authentic thin-crust pizza topped with fresh basil and buffalo mozzarella.
- While the traditional Neapolitan pizza is protected by specific culinary regulations, modern variations have expanded to include diverse crust styles and unconventional toppings ranging from pineapple to truffle oil.

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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.