n.
A thick soup of Italian origin containing assorted vegetables, beans, pasta such as vermicelli or macaroni, and herbs in a meat or vegetable broth.
[Italian, augmentative of minestra, dish consisting of pasta, rice, vegetables or beans cooked in water, from Old Italian, from minestrare, to dish up, serve this dish, from Latin ministrāre, to serve food, from minister, servant.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
