veal parmigiana

1 3.9

A cooked veal cutlet coated in breadcrumbs and cheese, topped with tomato sauce

noun
/viːl ˌpɑːrmɪˈdʒiːnə/

: parmigiana de ternera

The veal parmigiana I had last night was perfectly cooked, with tender meat and a flavorful breadcrumb crust.

Examples

Veal parmigiana

Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation (1992)
Veal parmigiana

Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation (1992)
For madame, and veal parmigiana for me.

Corrina, Corrina (1994)
Veal parmigiana

Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation (1992)
Veal parmigiana.

It's Always Fair Weather (1955)
I ordered the veal parmigiana for dinner and it was delicious, with a crispy coating and rich tomato sauce.
At the restaurant, the chef recommended their signature dish, the veal parmigiana, which is topped with melted cheese and served with pasta.

Synonyms

veal parmesan

vsveal parmigiana

1 3.1

A breaded and fried piece of veal topped with tomato sauce and melted cheese

contains cheese inside the breadcrumb coating rather than layered on top

Surface Forms

veal parmigiana singular

veal parmigianas plural

Morphology

veal + parmigiana

The dish name is transparently compositional: 'veal' names the protein and 'parmigiana' denotes the specific breaded/cheese/tomato preparation. A B1 learner who knows both constituent meanings can infer this refers to veal prepared in the parmigiana style, so the overall meaning is directly derivable from the parts.

Etymology

Veal parmigiana combines veal, meaning young cow meat, with parmigiana, a word that may come from 'with Parmesan cheese' and so points to dishes covered in cheese and sauce. Imagine a fried veal cutlet covered in tomato sauce and melted cheese; that's why the name means 'veal topped with tomato sauce and cheese'.