Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A piece of dough stuffed with potato, meat, or cheese and baked or fried.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Russian and Jewish Cookery) A fried, or sometimes baked, turnover made from a round or square sheet of dough containing a filling, usually of meat or potatoes.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun An Eastern European Jewish, or Yiddish, snack food consisting of a dumpling covered with a shell of baked or fried dough

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun (Yiddish) a baked or fried turnover filled with potato or meat or cheese; often eaten as a snack

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Yiddish, from Ukrainian knysh, probably of Turkic origin.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From the Yiddish קניש (knish), from the Polish knysz and Ukrainian книш (knyš), from Turkic.

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Examples

  • I'm still not big on trick-or-treating, but the knish is a good conversation piece and a way to get people talking about ghosts they'd rather not touch.

    Laura Silver: My Big Jewish Halloween Costume Laura Silver 2010

  • I'm still not big on trick-or-treating, but the knish is a good conversation piece and a way to get people talking about ghosts they'd rather not touch.

    Laura Silver: My Big Jewish Halloween Costume Laura Silver 2010

  • The potato knish is the obvious choice for novices but the bakery keeps it fresh with seasonal flavors such as pumpkin for Halloween and newfangled choices like jalape ñ o cheddar.

    Old Flavors of the Lower East Side Monica Williams 2010

  • If you hate that powdered concrete they call a knish mix, write and tell them so.

    A Case Of Conscience Blish, James 1953

  • If you hate that powdered concrete they call a knish mix, write and tell them so.

    A Case Of Conscience Blish, James 1953

  • A knish is a fried or baked pastry filled with meat and vegetables.

    unknown title 2009

  • The important thing is that a knish is a delicious little starchy thing and I try not to indulge in them too often!

    Blisstree 2009

  • The important thing is that a knish is a delicious little starchy thing and I try not to indulge in them too often!

    Blisstree 2009

  • It seems to me "knish" better suits a lesbian, while gay guys would prefer a "Ka-Bob."

    Queer Sighted 2010

  • At afternoon lunch, I sat in the common room nibbling on my potato knish, listening to Jo and Fanny, feeling as if my insides were made of India rubber and all their words bounced around without touching me.

    Deadly Julie Chibbaro 2011

Comments

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  • Reesetee, according to Prolagus's note on clannish, you really should add this to your "Gesundheit!" list. ;)

    May 1, 2008

  • Done. Excellent suggestion. Tasty, too. :-)

    May 1, 2008

  • Pun-filled delicacy over at Mexiknish.

    July 14, 2012