Meaning & use
latke
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A small fried pancake made from grated potato, traditionally eaten during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.
Grammar: Countable; the plural is latkes, which is the form usually used when talking about the dish.
Patterns
- a plate of latkes
- make latkes
- eat latkes
My grandmother makes the best latkes with grated potato and onion.
We ate latkes with applesauce and sour cream at the Hanukkah party.
The recipe calls for frying the latkes until they are crisp and golden.
Word forms
| plural | latkes |
|---|
Common combinations
- potato latkes
- She served homemade potato latkes with a dollop of sour cream.
- make latkes
- It takes time to make latkes for a large family.
- fry latkes
- You need to fry the latkes in hot oil until they are brown.
- latkes with applesauce
- Many people enjoy latkes with applesauce rather than sour cream.
Synonyms and how they differ
- potato pancake
- A general term for a fried potato cake; latke is the specific Jewish version eaten at Hanukkah.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'latke' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A latke is a fried potato pancake, so 'fried latkes in oil' fits. The other options use 'latke' as a drink, clothing, or vehicle, which are not its meanings.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “latke”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.