prosciutto
UK[prəˈʃuːtəʊ]US[proʊˈʃutoʊ]
n
a dry-cured italian ham that is usually sliced very thinly
Etymology
the word 'prosciutto' is a direct borrowing from italian, entering english in the 20th century as a culinary term. in italian, 'prosciutto' derives from the latin 'perexsuctus', the past participle of 'perexsucare', meaning 'to suck out thoroughly' or 'to dry out'. this latin term is a compound of 'per-' (meaning 'thoroughly') and 'exsuctus' (meaning 'sucked out', from 'exsugere' 'to suck out'). the literal sense of 'dried out' perfectly describes the curing process essential to making this ham, where moisture is removed to preserve the meat and concentrate its flavor.
Analysis
the word is a loanword from italian and is not productively segmented using english morphemes.
Examples
the charcuterie board featured delicate slices of prosciutto and melon.
for the pizza, she prefers prosciutto crudo over cooked ham.
he carefully draped the prosciutto over the warm asparagus.