latke

Definition

A pancake fried in oil, usually made from potatoes and sometimes also onions, traditionally served on Hanukkah.

Etymology

Borrowed from Yiddish לאַטקע (latke), from either Russian ла́тка (látka, “pastry, patch”) or Ukrainian оладка (oladka, “pancake, fritter”). In Polish łatka (“patch”) or placek, placki (“fritter, fritters”).

Example Sentences

• "Her favorite Chanukah memories were of eating latkes and sour cream while her mother gossiped with the aunts and cousins."
• "We do not spend our days huddled in smoke-filled rooms plotting world domination while Jared Kushner plays dreidel in the back with Noam Chomsky and George Soros sneaks the last latke."