cured ham from Italy: usually served as an hors d'oeuvre
Word origin
Italian, literally: dried beforehand, from pro-pre- + asciutto dried
prosciutto in American English
(prəˈʃutoʊ; Italian pʀɔˈʃuttɔ)
noun
a spicy Italian ham, cured by drying and served in very thin slices, often with melon
Word origin
It < prosciugare, to dry out, altered (prob. infl. by pro- < L, pro-1) < LL *perexsucare < per- (< L, per-) + exsucare, to extract juice from < L exsuctus, pp. of exsugere, to suck out: see ex-1 & suck
Examples of 'prosciutto' in a sentence
prosciutto
Cut the prosciutto slices in half through the width.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Cut the prosciutto into thin strips.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Who knew that it was surprisingly simple to make your own pancetta, prosciutto and salami?