vindaloo

noun

vin·​da·​loo ˈvin-də-ˌlü How to pronounce vindaloo (audio)
plural vindaloos
: a curried dish of Indian origin made with meat or shellfish, garlic, and wine or vinegar

Examples of vindaloo 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.
Lamb vindaloo with flaky paratha, potato mash, yogurt, and lime shot. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 17 Mar. 2026 Storebought vindaloo curry paste pulls double duty here, flavoring both the meatballs and the creamy spinach sauce. — Maggie Meyer Glisan, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Apr. 2026 In a clever stroke, Chauhan made the vindaloo with ground lamb, rather than the usual hunks, to nod to the more traditional chili topping. — Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2025 The entrees are split between Chinese- and Desi-style dishes, with meats that can be cooked in sauces like chili garlic or vindaloo. — Aviva Bechky, Houston Chronicle, 6 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for vindaloo

Word History

Etymology

probably from Konkani vindalu, from Indo-Portuguese (Portuguese creole of India) vinh d'alho, literally, wine of garlic, from Portuguese vinho de alho

First Known Use

1888, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of vindaloo was in 1888

Rhymes for vindaloo

See All Rhymes for vindaloo

Browse Nearby Words

vinculum matrimonii
vindaloo
vin de table
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Vindaloo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vindaloo. Accessed 10 Jul. 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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

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

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

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

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
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All