Standard Lemma guide

orzo

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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈɔːzəʊ/
  • UK: /ˈɔːtsəʊ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: /ˈɔɹzoʊ/
  • US: /ˈɔɹtsoʊ/

1

noun

Meaning 1

A form of pasta the size and shape of grains of rice or barley; often used in soups.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: risoni

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

pasta shaped like pearls of barley; frequently prepared with lamb in Greek cuisine

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: pasta, alimentary paste

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian orzo (“barley”), from Latin hordeum, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵhr̥sdeyom (“bristly”). Doublet of orgeat and horchata.

Across languages

Translations

13 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: кускус (kuskus) — barley-shaped pasta used in soups
  • Dutch: orzo — barley-shaped pasta used in soups
  • Finnish: risoni — barley-shaped pasta used in soups
  • Finnish: orzo — barley-shaped pasta used in soups
  • Finnish: jyväpasta — barley-shaped pasta used in soups
  • German: Nudelreis — barley-shaped pasta used in soups
  • Italian: risoni — barley-shaped pasta used in soups
  • Japanese: オルゾー (oruzō) — barley-shaped pasta used in soups
  • Polish: orzo — barley-shaped pasta used in soups
  • Russian: ризо́ни (rizóni) — barley-shaped pasta used in soups
  • Spanish: orzo — barley-shaped pasta used in soups
  • Swedish: risoni — barley-shaped pasta used in soups
  • Turkish: arpa şehriye — barley-shaped pasta used in soups