matzoh
UK[ˈmɑːtsə]US[ˈmɑːtsə]
n
A brittle, flat piece of unleavened bread, traditionally eaten during Passover.
Etymology
The word 'matzoh' (also spelled 'matzo' or 'matzah') entered English in the mid-19th century via Yiddish matse, which itself derives from Hebrew maṣṣāh, meaning "unleavened bread." The Hebrew root m-ṣ-ḥ carries the sense of "to drain out" or "to suck," likely referring to the process of drawing out moisture from the dough during its quick baking, which prevents leavening. This etymological journey from a Semitic root describing a process to the English term for a specific ritual food encapsulates the cultural and religious transmission of the Passover tradition into the English lexicon.
Analysis
This word is a loanword from Hebrew, adopted as a single lexical unit into English. It is not productively segmented using English or classical morphemes.
Examples
The seder plate is traditionally accompanied by matzoh.
She used ground matzoh to make matzoh ball soup.
During Passover, observant Jews replace bread with matzoh.