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wiener

/ˈwinər/

IPA guide

Other forms: wieners

You might call your favorite backyard cookout food a hot dog, but it's also known as a frankfurter or a wiener.

You're probably not thinking of Strauss waltzes and cream-topped tortes as you spread the mustard and relish on your hot dog, but in German, wiener simply means Viennese. Thank the lowly wienerwurst — "Vienna sausage" — parent of the sausage that we designate by this word today. The spelling weiner is also widely found in English, somewhat obscuring the word's origins.

Definitions of wiener
  1. noun
    a smooth-textured sausage of minced beef or pork usually smoked; often served on a bread roll
    synonyms: dog, frank, frankfurter, hot dog, hotdog, weenie, wienerwurst
    see moresee less
    types:
    Vienna sausage
    short slender frankfurter usually with ends cut off
    type of:
    sausage
    highly seasoned minced meat stuffed in casings
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