zuppanoun
Factsheet
What does the noun zuppa mean?
There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun zuppa. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.
Entry status
OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.
How common is the noun zuppa?
| 2017 | 0.0026 |
| 2018 | 0.0028 |
| 2019 | 0.0027 |
| 2020 | 0.0036 |
| 2021 | 0.0036 |
| 2022 | 0.0025 |
| 2023 | 0.0023 |
| 2024 | 0.0022 |
How is the noun zuppa pronounced?
British English
U.S. English
Where does the noun zuppa come from?
Earliest known use
1960s
The earliest known use of the noun zuppa is in the 1960s.
OED's earliest evidence for zuppa is from 1961, in the writing of Wynford Vaughan-Thomas.
zuppa is a borrowing from Italian.
Nearby entries
- Zulu, v.1882–
- Zuludom, n.1867–
- Zulu hat, n.1879–
- Zuluize, v.1852–
- Zulu time, n.1959–
- zumbador, n.1758–64
- zumbi, n.1704–
- zumboorukchee, n.1840–
- Zuñi, n.1834–
- zunyite, n.1885–
- zuppa, n.1961–
- Zurich, n.1870–
- Zuricher, n.1673–
- zurla, n.1940–
- zurlite, n.1826–
- zurna, n.1870–
- zurr, n.1803–
- zussmanite, n.1965–
- zut, int.1915–
- zuur-veldt, n.1785–
- zuz, n.1688–
Etymology
Summary
Meaning & use
- 1961–Soup. Usually in combinations, esp. as zuppa di pesce, fish soup. Also transferred and figurative in zuppa inglese [lit. ‘English soup’] , a rich trifle.
- [1935
Zuppa di fagioli alla fiorentina (Haricot Bean Soup à la Florentine).
‘Countess Morphy’, Recipes of All Nations 124 (heading) ] - 1961
The tourists eat their zuppa di pesce in the restaurants on the quayside.
W. Vaughan-Thomas, Anzio xi. 231 - 1962
We ordered the Zuppa di Lenticchie.
L. Deighton, Ipcress File xvi. 95 - 1975
My favourite culinary term, ‘zuppa inglese’, the Italian's idea of a sickly English trifle.
F. Bresler, You & Law 77 - 1976
A true Italian zuppa di pesce.
Times 10 July 10/8 - 1977
One way and another, [the book is] a zuppa inglese, heavy with leftovers and alcoholic seasonings.
Listener 10 February 189/2 - 1981
We'd decided on Zuppa inglese for pud... Who can resist trifle in hooch?
‘J. Gash’, Vatican Rip xii. 101
- brothOld English–The liquid in which anything has been boiled, and which is impregnated with its juice; a decoction; esp. that in which meat is boiled or…
- pottage?c1225–A thick soup or stew, typically made from vegetables, pulses, meat, etc., boiled in water until soft, and usually seasoned. Cf. potage, n.
- pulmenta1325–1704Pottage, gruel.
- soupa1325–A (usually savoury) liquid food made by boiling meat, fish, vegetables, etc., with seasoning in stock or water, and frequently served as a first…
- hotchpot1381–= hotchpotch, n. A.2.
- sewc1386–1645Pottage, broth; a mess of pottage. (Cf. fig-sue, n.)
- wortsc1390–1560In plural. A thick soup or stew made from vegetables, pulses, meat, etc. Obsolete.
- long wortsc1440–75(Probably) uncut greens or herbs, or a thick soup or stew made from these (cf. sense 1b).
- poddish1528–= pottage, n., porridge, n.; (now chiefly) oatmeal porridge.
- porridge?1533–A thick soup made by stewing vegetables, herbs, or meat, often thickened with barley, pulses, etc. Cf. plum porridge, n.
- hotchpotch1567–Cookery. A dish containing a mixture of many ingredients; spec. a thick soup of barley, peas, and other vegetables, and sometimes meat. Also: a…
- sowpa1568Early Scottish variant of soup, n.
- potage1653–Soup, esp. a thick soup typically made from vegetables, meat, etc. Cf. pottage, n.
- bouillon1656–Broth, soup.
- soupe1767–Soup; usually with defining addition, as soupe à l'oignon (onion soup), etc.
- pot-au-feu1841–A large traditional French cooking pot; a dish or recipe associated with this, esp. a thick soup of meat and vegetables. Also figurative.
- shackles1888–Broth, soup, or stew.
- zuppa1961–Soup. Usually in combinations, esp. as zuppa di pesce, fish soup. Also transferred and figurative in zuppa inglese, a rich trifle.
- fishOld English–As a modifier (in sense 2), designating meals, dishes, or ingredients containing fish, as in fish chowder, fish curry, fish dinner, fish soup, fish…
- fish brotha1450–a. A broth or stock made from fish; †b. humorously seawater (obsolete).
- coulis1603–Originally: a broth, jelly, or gravy made from the juices of roasted or grilled meat; = cullis, n.¹ (now historical and rare). Now usually: a thick…
- bisque1715A rich soup typically made from several different kinds of stewed meat, game bird, or fish and a large number of other ingredients in a spiced broth…
- anchovy-cullis1725–33A savoury broth or sauce made with anchovies.
- shrimp gumbo1805–A shrimp soup thickened with okra pods.
- lobster bisque1895–A thick cream soup made of lobster; hence, the colour of this soup.
- ukha1911–A Russian fish soup.
- zuppa di pesce1961–Soup. Usually in combinations, esp. as zuppa di pesce, fish soup. Also transferred and figurative in zuppa inglese, a rich trifle.
the world food and drink food dishes and prepared food confectionery and sweet dishes [nouns] other confections or sweet dishes- pionade1302–10A sweet food, a confection (perhaps containing peony seeds).
- spinee1381–1430A dish or confection flavoured with hawthorn flowers.
- pokerouncea1450–A sweetmeat consisting of toast spread with hot spiced honey.
- strawberry cream1523–Designating a confection or drink in which strawberries are an ingredient or flavouring, as †strawberry ale, strawberry water, strawberry wine; straw…
- pannag1540–Perhaps: millet; a kind of cake or bread made with millet.
- alkermes1547–The dried bodies of scale insects (females of Kermes ilicis and K. vermilio, family Kermesidae), found in the Mediterranean region on the kermes oak…
- sugar-bread1587A species of confectionery.
- snow1597–Applied to various things or substances having the colour or appearance of snow. Cookery. A dish or confection resembling snow in appearance, esp…
- flammick1600A confection made with butter, eggs, and cheese.
- Norfolk fool1623–A cold dessert, resembling a trifle, consisting of layers of sliced manchet (manchet, n. 1a) and spiced custard, with a decorative sweet topping…
- fool1653–A dessert consisting of mashed or pureed fruit mixed with custard or (now typically) whipped cream, and served cold. Originally in gooseberry fool, n.…
- chocolate cream1702–Originally: a creamy chocolate dessert, typically made by boiling milk with sugar, eggs, chocolate, and sometimes other ingredients; cf. cream, n.²…
- meringue1706–A light mixture of stiffly beaten egg whites and sugar, baked until crisp; a shell or other item of confectionery made of this mixture, typically…
- curd puff1723–A light baked confection made from curds mixed with eggs, flour, and sugar and typically flavoured with spices and sweet wine.
- steeple cream1747–69A cream (cream, n.² 2a) fashioned into a form pointed at the top.
- trifle1755–A cold dessert, typically consisting of sponge biscuits or cake (often soaked in fortified wine or liqueur) layered with fruit, jelly, custard, and…
- snowball1769–Cookery. One or other of various dishes or confections intended to resemble a ball of snow in appearance.
- sweet bread1777–A sweet-tasting bread, pastry, cake, or biscuit. Cf. pan dulce, n.
- marrangle1809–26= meringue, n.¹
- meteor1820A kind of Italian meringue, probably formed into a shape suggesting that of a meteor. Obsolete.
- mimpins1820A kind of confectionery or sweet pastry.
- brandy snap1828–A small, crisp pastry tube flavoured with ginger and usually filled with cream. Also as a mass noun.
- Nesselrode1835–More fully Nesselrode cream, Nesselrode pie, Nesselrode pudding. An iced dessert made with chestnuts, cream, preserved fruits, etc., and…
- cocoa sweetmeat1836–Confectionery made using or flavoured with cocoa; an item of this.
- meringué1845A dish composed of fruit and meringue.
- Swiss cream1845–A type of trifle.
- turban1846–Cookery. (See quot. 1909: perhaps only as French.)
- coconut cream1847–a. A type of confectionery or dessert made or flavoured with coconut; b. thick coconut milk which has a cream-like consistency (cf. coconut milk, n.…
- chocolate kiss1850–A small chocolate cake or piece of confectionery; (now) esp. one consisting of chocolate formed into a conical shape; cf. kiss, n. 3.
- grasshopper pie1856–a. A pie or dish made with grasshoppers; spec. crushed grasshoppers and berries formed into a cake, eaten by some Indigenous peoples of North…
- cottage pudding1857–A dessert consisting of cake covered in a sweet sauce.
- panforte1865–A rich confection originating in Siena, Italy, containing nuts (properly almonds), candied peel, honey, and spices baked to form a hard, round, flat…
- sugar skull1867–A decorative representation of a human skull or skeleton, originally crafted from sugar but now also sometimes from clay, made for or associated…
- yokan1875–In Japanese cookery: a jellied dessert or confection made typically from a thick red-bean paste, sugar, and agar, formed into a solid block and eaten…
- Eton mess1896–A dessert consisting of whipped cream, pieces of meringue, and fruit (typically strawberries), traditionally associated with Eton College.
- bombe surprise1901–A rounded or dome-shaped dessert comprising an outer shell of ice cream, sometimes covered with a layer of chocolate or baked meringue, concealing a…
- meringue Chantilly1901–A meringue filled with Chantilly cream. Also meringue à la Chantilly. Also figurative.
- streusel1909–A crumb-like topping for cakes and pastries made from fat, flour, cinnamon, and sugar; a confection with such a topping. Frequently attributive…
- rocky road1920–Originally U.S. Also with capital initials. A flavour of ice cream, or type of cake, dessert, or confectionery, typically made with a mixture of…
- ringocandy1922–A kind of candied confection. Also figurative.
- stem ginger1922–A superior grade of crystallized or preserved ginger.
- dulce de leche1923–Originally in South American (esp. Argentinian) cuisine: sweet, caramelized milk, often served as a spread or sauce.
- kissel1924–A sweet dish made from fruit juice mixed with sugar and water, which is boiled and thickened with potato or cornflour.
- some-more1925–A dessert or snack consisting of toasted marshmallows and chocolate between graham crackers; = s'more, n.²
- cream-crowdie1929–= cranachan, n. (cf. crowdie, n. 2).
- Pavlova cake1929–Originally Pavlova cake. A dessert consisting of a soft-centred meringue base or shell filled with whipped cream and fruit (sometimes with other…
- s'more1934–A dessert or snack consisting of toasted marshmallows and chocolate sandwiched between graham crackers, typically served outdoors, with the…
- cranachan1946–A dessert typically made with whipped cream, whisky, oatmeal, honey, and berries (esp. raspberries).
- sugar-on-snow1947–A delicacy made by pouring hot maple syrup on snow (snow, n.¹ II.5a).
- calavera1948–An item of confectionery shaped to resemble a human skull, made for or associated with the Mexican celebration, Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead).
- suji halwa1955–A kind of dessert made with suji.
- vacherin1960–A confection of meringue and whipped cream.
- dorayaki1961–A Japanese confection consisting of two small pancakes sandwiching a sweet filling, typically adzuki bean paste.
- zuppa inglese1961–Soup. Usually in combinations, esp. as zuppa di pesce, fish soup. Also transferred and figurative in zuppa inglese, a rich trifle.
- brûlée1966–A dessert of custard topped with caramelized sugar; = crème brûlée, n.
- pav1966–= pavlova, n.
- delice1967–Any of various rich desserts typically featuring a thick layer of mousse or light, creamy filling. Frequently with modifying word indicating the…
- chocolate salami1968–An Italian and Portuguese dessert typically made with eggs, sugar, (dark) chocolate, and crumbled biscuits (also occasionally with rum, port…
- banoffi1974–attributive. Designating any of various desserts consisting of bananas and soft toffee (made with caramelized condensed milk); originally and…
- macaroon1985–A confection consisting of two small, round (usually colourful) biscuits with a meringue-like consistency, made with egg white, sugar, and powdered…
- salara1985–In Guyanese cookery: a type of sweet bread made with a white yeast dough, spread with a filling of sweetened and spiced coconut dyed a vibrant red…
- Nanaimo1991–= Nanaimo bar, n. rare.
- macaron1993–A confection consisting of two small, round (usually colourful) biscuits with a meringue-like consistency, made with egg white, sugar, and…
Pronunciation
British English
U.S. English
Consonants
- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- ɬrhingyll
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing
Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence
Vowels
- iːfleece
- ihappy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- atrap, bath
- ɑːstart, palm, bath
- ɒlot
- ɔːthought, force
- ʌstrut
- ʊfoot
- uːgoose
- əletter
- əːnurse
- ɪənear
- ɛːsquare
- ʊəcure
- eɪface
- ʌɪpride
- aʊmouth
- əʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ãgratin
- ɒ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)
Other symbols
- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.
View the pronunciation model here.
Consonants
- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye*
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing
* /d/ also represents a 'tapped' /t/ as in
Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence
Vowels
- ifleece, happy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- ætrap, bath
- ɑlot, palm, cloth, thought
- ɑrstart
- ɔcloth, thought
- ɔrnorth, force
- ʊfoot
- ugoose
- əstrut, comma
- ərnurse, letter
- ɪ(ə)rnear
- ɛ(ə)rsquare
- ʊ(ə)rcure
- eɪface
- aɪpride
- aʊmouth
- oʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ɑ̃gratin
- æ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)
Other symbols
- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.
View the pronunciation model here.
Simple text respell breaks words into syllables, separated by a hyphen. The syllable which carries the primary stress is written in capital letters. This key covers both British and U.S. English Simple Text Respell.
Consonants
b, d, f, h, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, w and z have their standard English values
- gguy
- jjay
- yyore
- chchore
- khloch
- shshore
- ththaw
- dhthee
- zhbeige
Vowels
- atrap
- ahpalm
- airsquare
- arstart
- arrcarry (British only)
- awthought
- ayface
- a(ng)gratin
- edress
- eefleece
- eerdeer
- errmerry
- ikit
- ighpride
- irrmirror
- olot (British only)
- ohgoat
- oogoose
- oorcure
- orforce
- orrsorry (British only)
- owmouth
- oyvoice
- o(ng)salon
- ustrut
- uhletter
- urnurse
- urrhurry
- uufoot
Frequency
zuppa typically occurs about 0.02 times per million words in modern written English.
zuppa is in frequency band 3, which contains words occurring between 0.01 and 0.1 times per million words in modern written English. More about OED's frequency bands
Frequency of zuppa, n., 1960–2010
* Occurrences per million words in written English
Historical frequency series are derived from Google Books Ngrams (version 2), a data set based on the Google Books corpus of several million books printed in English between 1500 and 2010.
The overall frequency for a given word is calculated by summing frequencies for the main form of the word, any plural or inflected forms, and any major spelling variations.
For sets of homographs (distinct entries that share the same word-form, e.g. mole, n.¹, mole, n.², mole, n.³, etc.), we have estimated the frequency of each homograph entry as a fraction of the total Ngrams frequency for the word-form. This may result in inaccuracies.
Smoothing has been applied to series for lower-frequency words, using a moving-average algorithm. This reduces short-term fluctuations, which may be produced by variability in the content of the Google Books corpus.
| Decade | Frequency per million words |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.014 |
| 1970 | 0.014 |
| 1980 | 0.015 |
| 1990 | 0.015 |
| 2000 | 0.017 |
| 2010 | 0.019 |
Frequency of zuppa, n., 2017–2024
* Occurrences per million words in written English
Modern frequency series are derived from a corpus of 20 billion words, covering the period from 2017 to the present. The corpus is mainly compiled from online news sources, and covers all major varieties of World English.
Smoothing has been applied to series for lower-frequency words, using a moving-average algorithm. This reduces short-term fluctuations, which may be produced by variability in the content of the corpus.
| Period | Frequency per million words |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 0.0026 |
| 2018 | 0.0028 |
| 2019 | 0.0027 |
| 2020 | 0.0036 |
| 2021 | 0.0036 |
| 2022 | 0.0025 |
| 2023 | 0.0023 |
| 2024 | 0.0022 |