rigatoni
UK[ˌrɪɡəˈtəʊni]US[ˌrɪɡəˈtoʊni]
n
A type of pasta in the form of short, wide tubes with ridges.
Etymology
The word 'rigatoni' is a direct borrowing from Italian, entering English in the 20th century as Italian cuisine gained global popularity. It originates from the Italian 'rigato,' meaning "ridged" or "lined," which perfectly describes the pasta's characteristic grooved surface designed to hold sauces. The suffix '-oni' serves as a plural augmentative, indicating "large ones," distinguishing this wider, tubular pasta from its thinner relatives like penne. Thus, the term literally translates to "large ridged ones," a name that is both descriptive of its physical form and functional purpose in cooking.
Analysis
This word is a loanword from Italian and is not productively segmented using English morphemes. Its Italian components are 'rigato' (meaning "ridged" or "striped," past participle of 'rigare' "to draw lines") and the suffix '-oni' (a plural augmentative suffix indicating "large ones").
Examples
The hearty meat sauce clung perfectly to the ridges of the rigatoni.
For the baked pasta dish, she chose rigatoni over ziti.
He cooked the rigatoni al dente, just as the recipe instructed.