noun
kebab
kih-BAB
noun
1
Meat, fish, or vegetables cooked on a skewer or spit, including the sliced-off-a-spit "doner" style sold in flatbread.
"We grabbed a kebab from the van after the pub closed."
"She grilled lamb kebabs on the barbecue."
2
A takeaway shop that sells kebabs.
"There's a kebab on the corner that's open till 3am."
3
In computing, an icon of three stacked dots that opens a menu (informally, from its resemblance to food on a skewer).
"Tap the kebab icon in the top corner to see more options."
How to Use Kebab
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSkewered or spit-roasted meat (or the shop/van that sells it) — in the UK, often shorthand for a late-night doner kebab.
When to use it
The three-dot menu icon sense is casual tech slang, not standard usage.
Common pairings
doner kebab
shish kebab
kebab shop
kebab van
Word Forms
kebabbed past tense, kebabs plural, kebabs singular
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We grabbed a _____ from the van after the pub closed.
Etymology
From Arabic kabāb, reaching English partly via Turkish, Persian, and Urdu.