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Meaning & use

pita

noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈpɪtə/
US/ˈpiːtə/

Meaning

  1. nouncountable or uncountable

    A round, soft flat bread that puffs up when baked, leaving a hollow inside that can be filled or used to scoop food.

    Grammar: Count noun for one bread (two pitas) and a mass noun for the food (some pita).

    Patterns

    • pita with something
    • stuff a pita

    She stuffed a warm pita with falafel and salad.

    We tore off pieces of pita to dip in hummus.

    The bakery sells fresh pita every morning.

Word forms

pluralpitas

Common combinations

warm pita
The waiter brought warm pita to the table.
whole wheat pita
I prefer whole wheat pita for sandwiches.
pita pocket
Fill the pita pocket with chicken and yogurt sauce.
pita chips
We served pita chips with spinach dip.
pita bread
Pita bread keeps well in the freezer.

Synonyms and how they differ

flatbread
Flatbread is a broad category, and pita is one kind that has a pocket.
pitta
Pitta is the usual British spelling of the same bread.
wrap
A wrap is a thin tortilla-style sheet, which has no pocket and is rolled rather than split.

Word family

pita bread noun
the full name of the food
pitas noun
plural form

Commonly confused: pita or pizza? pita or pitta?

pita vs pizza

Pizza is topped with sauce and cheese and baked as a flat round, while pita is plain bread, often with a pocket.

pita vs pitta

This is only a spelling difference; both pita and pitta name the same bread.

Practice

What is a defining feature of a pita?

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