Meaning
A thin, crisp Indian food made from lentil flour, optionally spiced or flavoured in various ways and either grilled or deep-fried, which may be eaten on its own as a snack, with chutneys as a starter, or as an accompaniment to a meal.
Etymology
Origin: Sanskrit
Borrowed from Tamil பப்படம் (pappaṭam), from Sanskrit पर्पट (parpaṭa). Although the word began to be attested in English in the 1860s, shortly after the establishment of the British Raj, it only came into consistent use around 1940, after which all of the forms indicated above as common have remained in use. Doublet of papad.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
appalam
NYT Puzzle Appearances
No published puzzle dates on file for this word yet. It is part of the official NYT Spelling Bee word list for 2020, 2022, 2025.