gelato

noun

ge·​la·​to jə-ˈlä-(ˌ)tō How to pronounce gelato (audio)
je-
plural gelati jə-ˈlä-tē How to pronounce gelato (audio)
je-
 also gelatos
: a soft rich ice cream containing little or no air

Examples of gelato in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
As young girls, Monica Price and Maria Elena Price were the resident gelato experts for their parents’ bicycle touring company, founded in 1972. — Brianna Randall, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 With a 26-inch inseam option, petites can finally skip the tailor and spend that extra cash on a round of gelato instead. — Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 14 Aug. 2026 Supermoon also happens to make some of the wildest gelato in the five boroughs, with pints of pandan & kaya jam, Thai iced tea, and strawberry yuzu matcha. — Kyle Beechey, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Aug. 2026 The double whammy of new classes and high temps is all the more reason to treat yourself — or the back-to-schooler in your life — at one of these incredible new ice cream and gelato destinations around the region. — Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for gelato

Word History

Etymology

Italian, literally, frozen

First Known Use

1929, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gelato was in 1929

Rhymes for gelato

See All Rhymes for gelato

Browse Nearby Words

gelation
gelato
Gelbvieh
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gelato.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gelato. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of balmy

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All