Rissole

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɹɪsəʊl/

Definitions

1. A bite-sized savory pastry usually filled with a mixture of meat or vegetables and cooked until golden brown
2. A small round or oval food item consisting of a filling encased in dough that is then fried or baked, often served as an appetizer
3. A small, often cylindrical pastry filled with various ingredients like meat or vegetables, which is then baked or fried to a crispy texture

Etymology: The English "rissole" is borrowed from French, where it names a small fried or baked pastry of minced meat or fish wrapped in pastry or coated in breadcrumbs. The French word is itself rooted in the Latin "russeolus" (reddish), a reference to the golden-brown colour the frying gives the food, and the same root gives English the adjective "russet". The word's most surprising later life is in Australia, where "rissole" became slang for a quite different thing. Australian slang uses it as a noun and verb, and the verb is a euphemism for "arsehole", with the spoken likeness between the two words doing the work. The two senses share nothing but sound, so the slang is a matter of wordplay rather than any shift in meaning from the pastry.