English Reference

Word

salami

Phoneticssala·mi

US/səˈɫɑmi/

UK/sɐlˈɑːmi/

Definition

n. a type of cured meat that is usually made from pork and has a strong, salty taste. It is often sliced thin and used in sandwiches or on pizza.

n. a cured sausage made from various meats, typically pork, and seasoned with garlic and pepper. Often used in the plural to refer to the meat itself.

Examples

“I bought a slice of salami for my sandwich.”

“The chef added thinly sliced salami to the pizza to give it a salty kick.”

“While the traditional recipe remains popular, modern variations of salami often incorporate different spices and curing methods to appeal to a wider range of palates.”

Examples

simple

“I bought a slice of salami for my sandwich.”

contextual

“The chef added thinly sliced salami to the pizza to give it a salty kick.”

complex

“While the traditional recipe remains popular, modern variations of salami often incorporate different spices and curing methods to appeal to a wider range of palates.”

Real-World Examples

“In the United States, common deli meats include ham, turkey and roast beef, but around the world there are many others, such as salami , pepperoni, capicola and even head cheese .”
The Conversation · 17 Aug 2026

Etymology

From Italian salami, plural of salame (“salami”), from sale (“salt”), from Latin sal.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Idioms

salami slicing — The achievement of a large change by incrementally asking for small concessions.

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

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