Definitions

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

  • noun A dessert of cake infused with a liquid such as coffee or rum, layered with mascarpone cheese, and topped with cocoa or grated chocolate.

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

  • noun an Italian semifreddo dessert, originally from the Veneto, made from ladyfinger biscuits, cocoa, mascarpone cheese, Marsala wine, eggs, sugar and espresso coffee

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

  • noun an Italian dessert consisting of layers of sponge cake soaked with coffee and brandy or liqueur layered with mascarpone cheese and topped with grated chocolate

Etymologies

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

[Italian tira mi sù, pick me up : tira, pick, imperative of tirare, to pick, draw + mi, me + su, up.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Venetian tiramesù; Italian tiramisù ("pick-me-up")

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Examples

  • Just seeing the word "tiramisu" makes me want to run for the exit, but Gonzalez tidies up the frequently sloppy classic, and renews it with a refreshing citrus finish; chocolate and orange, a marriage that never fails, right?

    StarTribune.com rss feed 2011

  • We finished with the tiramisu, which is one of his favorite desserts.

    why not having cable might be not that bad... anne 2006

  • The bulk of the tiramisu is the mascarpone cream layer, utterly light, pure and dusted in cocoa powder.

    Serious Eats: New York Kathy YL Chan 2010

  • The bulk of the tiramisu is the mascarpone cream layer, utterly light, pure and dusted in cocoa powder.

    Serious Eats: New York Kathy YL Chan 2010

  • The bulk of the tiramisu is the mascarpone cream layer, utterly light, pure and dusted in cocoa powder.

    Serious Eats: New York Kathy YL Chan 2010

  • Then stay for dessert, they have cannolli (a typical Sicilian dessert) or their version of tiramisu, which is different but nevertheless delicious.

    Examiner California Headlines 2010

  • The bulk of the tiramisu is the mascarpone cream layer, utterly light, pure and dusted in cocoa powder.

    Serious Eats: New York Kathy YL Chan 2010

  • The Italian word tiramisu, literally translated, means "pick me up" - which is a reference to the ingredients in this traditional Italian dessert - and there are as many varieties of tiramisu as there are myths about its origin.

    Italy Travel Guide 2009

  • Some other volunteers from our group were in town, so we all went to a fancy German place for dinner and had tiramisu which is so NOT German, but whatever for dessert.

    Adventures in Bolivia Gina 2008

  • Some other volunteers from our group were in town, so we all went to a fancy German place for dinner and had tiramisu which is so NOT German, but whatever for dessert.

    Archive 2008-05-01 Gina 2008

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