Long, thin strips of pasta or similar starchy food made from flour and water, often served in soups or with sauces.
From German 'Nudel', possibly from Latin 'nodulus' meaning small knot. The word entered English in the 18th century, though noodle-like foods have existed for thousands of years across many cultures, with both China and Italy claiming ancient origins.
The great noodle debate - whether they originated in China or Italy - misses the fascinating point that humans independently invented similar foods worldwide, suggesting something fundamental about how we process grain. Marco Polo didn't actually bring noodles from China to Italy; Italians were already making pasta-like foods centuries before his travels.
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