Sashimi
/səˈʃiːmi/noun
A Japanese dish of raw fish or seafood sliced into pieces and typically served with soy sauce and wasabi.
Did you know?The word combines Japanese 刺し (sashi, “piercing” or “stabbing”) with 身 (mi, “body” or “flesh”), though the dish’s name may also reflect historical methods of identifying fish species by inserting their tails or fins.
Etymological Timeline
Old Japanese
Japanese
身 (mi)
“Body, flesh, or meat”
Old Japanese
Japanese
刺す (sasu)
“To pierce, stab, or prick”
Medieval Japanese
Japanese
刺身 (sashimi)
“Literally, pierced flesh; sliced raw fish or meat”
16th–17th Century
Japanese
さしみ (sashimi)
“A recognized preparation of sliced raw fish”
19th Century
English
sashimi
“A Japanese dish of sliced raw fish, recorded as an English loanword”
Modern English
English
sashimi
“Raw fish or seafood sliced and served as a Japanese dish”