lasagna
UK[ləˈzæn.jə]US[ləˈzɑːn.jə]
n
A type of Italian pasta in the form of wide, flat sheets.
n
An Italian baked dish consisting of layers of this pasta with sauces, cheese, and often meat or vegetables.
Etymology
The word 'lasagna' entered English from Italian, where it referred to the cooking pot before it came to denote the pasta dish cooked within it. The Italian term derives from the Vulgar Latin 'lasania', which itself originates from the Latin 'lasanum', meaning 'cooking pot', a loanword from Ancient Greek 'λάσανον' (lasanon) for a 'trivet' or 'stand for a pot'. This etymological journey, from a specific cooking vessel to the name of the food prepared in it, is a classic example of metonymy, a common process in the evolution of culinary terminology.
Analysis
The word is a simplex loanword from Italian. It does not contain separable morphemes in its current English spelling.
Examples
She layered the lasagna with ricotta, mozzarella, and a rich meat sauce.
For dinner, we're having a vegetarian spinach lasagna.
The wide, flat noodles are the essential component of any lasagna.