Filo

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of thin, layered dough often used in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern pastries
2. Known for its crisp texture when baked, this pastry is commonly filled with sweet or savory ingredients
3. A culinary term referring to a delicately crafted dough that requires careful handling to achieve its signature flakiness

Etymology: Phyllo, also spelled filo, takes its name from the Greek "phyllon", meaning "leaf", which is the same idea the dough is built on: many paper-thin sheets stacked so that each one separates into a leaf-like layer in the oven. The Greek word also gave English the word "foil" and the bookish "folio" and "folium", which makes this a close relative of some unexpected English vocabulary. The two words are doublets, meaning they descend from the same Greek source but reached English by different routes, so their forms and meanings have drifted apart. "Foil" describes a thin sheet of metal, while "phyllo" keeps the sense of a delicate sheet pressed into layers. Both share the image of something flat and very thin.

Synonyms: phylum