Pecorini

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of Italian cheese made from sheep's milk, characterized by its hard texture and strong flavor commonly found in various dishes
2. A hard cheese originating from Italy, typically produced from ewe's milk, known for its salty and tangy taste, often grated over pasta
3. An artisan cheese from Italy made from sheep's milk that offers a rich, robust flavor and is frequently used in Mediterranean cuisine

Etymology: "Pecorini" is the plural of "pecorino", which English borrowed from Italian, where it means a hard cheese made from sheep's milk. The Italian word comes from "pecora", the ordinary Italian word for "sheep", so the cheese is named simply after the animal that produces its milk. Italian uses the same pattern for other regional cheeses, and the suffix "-ino" is a diminutive-style ending that Italian often attaches to a base noun. Because "pecorino" is a borrowed Italian noun, English speakers usually keep the Italian plural "pecorini" when referring to several wheels or varieties, rather than adding an English "-s". The same is true of cheeses such as "parmigiano" in English, which is why the plural looks unfamiliar on a menu.