חומוס

Hebrew

Etymology

From Arabic حُمُّص (ḥummuṣ, “chickpea; hummus”).

Pronunciation

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Noun

חוּמוּס • (khúmus) m

1. hummus (a Levantine Arab dip made of chickpea paste with various additions, such as olive oil, fresh garlic, lemon juice, and tahini, often eaten with pitta bread, or as a meze)
2. Chickpeas, garbanzo beans: the principal ingredient of this food.
   • 2012 November 22, Orit Ofir (אורית אופיר),‎ “מרזה ומלא סידן: למה החומוס בריא לכם” (m'razé umalé sidán: láma hakhúmus barí lakhém, “Slimming and full of calcium: why the chickpea is good for you”), in Ynet:

     חומוס הוא אחת הקטניות הראשונות ששימשו למאכל אדם, […]

     khúmus hú akhát hakitniyót harishonót sheshim'shú l'ma'akhál-adám, […]
     The chickpea was one of the first legumes to be used as human food, […]

Usage notes

• Arguably, chickpeas are more properly referred to as גַּרְגְּרֵי חִמְצָה (garg'réi khimtsá); however, חומוס is the common and widely-understood term for them.

Synonyms

• (chickpea): חימצה / חִמְצָה (khimtsá)