noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˈt͡ʃiːzlɪt/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/ˈt͡ʃizlət/
1
noun
Meaning 1
A small, usually roundish lump of cheese; a baby cheese; specifically, a particular type made with sheep's milk in Malta.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Malta
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A baked dish of bread and cheese covered with a mixture of eggs and milk.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, archaic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From cheese + -let (diminutive suffix). Sense 1 has been reinforced by the word’s use as a calque of Maltese ġbejna (literally “little cheese”), a diminutive of ġobon (“cheese”).
Across languages
Translations
7 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
ջբեյնա
(ǰbeyna)
— small, usually roundish lump of cheese; specifically, a particular type made with sheep’s milk in Malta
Japanese:
ジュベイナ
— small, usually roundish lump of cheese; specifically, a particular type made with sheep’s milk in Malta
Japanese:
ゴゾチーズ
— small, usually roundish lump of cheese; specifically, a particular type made with sheep’s milk in Malta
Maltese:
ġbejna
— small, usually roundish lump of cheese; specifically, a particular type made with sheep’s milk in Malta
Russian:
джбейна
(džbejna)
— small, usually roundish lump of cheese; specifically, a particular type made with sheep’s milk in Malta
Ukrainian:
джбейна
(džbejna)
— small, usually roundish lump of cheese; specifically, a particular type made with sheep’s milk in Malta
Uzbek:
jbeyna
— small, usually roundish lump of cheese; specifically, a particular type made with sheep’s milk in Malta