Pasty
/ˈpæs.ti/noun
A small baked pastry case, usually filled with meat, vegetables, or sweet ingredients.
Did you know?Pasty comes from the same Latin root as *paste* and *pasta*, ultimately from a word for a thick mixture, not from any mystical meaning—but the family still carries that ancient “molded substance” energy.
Etymological Timeline
Late Latin
Latin
pasta
“Dough, paste, or a thick mixture.”
Old French
Old French
paste
“Paste, dough, or a baked pastry case.”
Middle English
English
pastie
“A meat pie or pastry.”
16th Century
English
pasty
“A small pie or filled pastry.”
Modern English
English
pasty
“A small baked pastry, especially the Cornish type.”
Explore more surprising origins