Couscous is a food made from tiny steamed grains of semolina wheat, often served with vegetables, meat, or sauce.
From North African Arabic “kus-kus,” likely imitative of the sound of the grains being rolled or prepared. It spread into European languages through contact with North African cuisines.
Couscous looks like a grain, but it’s actually tiny pasta made from crushed wheat. Its name probably echoes the rhythmic sound of cooks rolling and steaming it—a food named after its own music.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.