Calzoni

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of Italian dish that consists of a folded pizza, stuffed with various fillings such as meats, cheeses, or vegetables
2. A culinary preparation resembling a turnover, where dough encases a hearty mixture baked until golden brown
3. An oven-baked pastry originating from Italy, typically filled with savory ingredients and served hot

Etymology: "Calzoni" is the plural of "calzone," an Italian word whose original sense has nothing to do with food. It literally means "stocking" or "trouser," a link that makes the pastry's shape easy to picture: a flat round of dough folded over its filling like a leg wrapped in a sock. The Italian word is a derivative of "calza," meaning stocking or hose, which is where the pastry's name comes from. English took the word without changing it, so it keeps the Italian spelling and pronunciation. The same root gave the pastry its alternate name in other regions and also connects to the French "chausson," meaning slipper or turnover, which is a doublet of the Italian term: two words from one source that arrived in different languages by different routes. Speakers of English who order a "calzone" are therefore borrowing a word for a garment as much as a dish.