Cheesesteak

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of sandwich made by filling a long, soft roll with thinly sliced meat, usually beef, along with melted cheese and various toppings for added flavor
2. An American delicacy that consists of a hoagie roll filled with tender beef and gooey cheese, often enhanced with diverse additional ingredients
3. A sandwich consisting of a soft long roll filled with thinly sliced beef and cheese, often with added toppings

Etymology: Cheesesteak is a compound of two plain English nouns: "cheese" and "steak." The sandwich is built from thin slices of beef, usually griddled on a flat-top and piled into a long roll, with melted cheese laid over the meat. The name simply describes that combination, so there is no hidden etymology to uncover, only a recipe written into the word. The meat half of the name goes back to Old French "estayk," which English borrowed as "steak" in the 1400s, originally meaning a thick slice of meat cooked on a grill. The cheese half is an ancient Germanic-rooted word, "cheese," from Old English "cyse." Joining the two in a single noun was a natural step for a dish where both ingredients were placed together on one roll.