Home US English primavera

Definition of primavera in English:

primavera

Pronunciation /ˌprēməˈverə/ /ˌpriməˈvɛrə/

noun

  • The hard, light-colored timber of a Central American tree.

    The tree is Cybistax donnellsmithii, family Bignoniaceae

    ‘Primavera is a large rainforest canopy tree, sometimes reaching to 100 feet in the natural rainforest, with a straight clear bole up to 3 or 4 feet in diameter.’
    • ‘Deep in the rain forests of Central America, lumberjacks hew the primavera tree in the dark of a moonless night.’
    • ‘The primavera's sap rises and falls, not with the seasons, but with the phases of moon.’

adjective

postpositive

  • (of a pasta dish) made with lightly sautéed spring vegetables.

    ‘linguine primavera’
    • ‘And I cannot see the point of using green peas in a risotto unless they are fresh, for example in a seasonal Italian primavera treatment.’
    • ‘One of my friends volunteered to make fettuccine primavera.’
    • ‘A main course of cannelloni in rosé sauce with risotto primavera was curiously served together in a bowl rather than on a plate.’
    • ‘She orders a soothing sounding risotto primavera which she tells me is an excellent way to discover how good the chef really is.’
    • ‘I set out to make an easier, lower-fat version of pasta primavera while staying true to the original idea - pasta paired with loads of fresh seasonal vegetables, each retaining its distinct taste and shape, in a flavorful, creamy sauce.’
    • ‘But there is a lovely pasta primavera if you don't prefer the prime rib.’
    • ‘When I'm done, I have bite-sized bell peppers, carrots and cherry tomatoes for snacks, and veggies ready for pasta primavera, stir-fries, burritos and fajita dinners.’
    • ‘It's only because the dress you are wearing is black, if it was white it would be tie-dyed with pasta primavera and creamed spinach.’
    • ‘The fish sat on a little collection of the sort of vegetables you'd find in a pasta primavera; small carrots, little peas, asparagus and so on.’
    • ‘So choose a bean burrito instead of chicken fajitas, pasta primavera instead of spaghetti with meatballs, and do your whole body a favor while you boost fertility… naturally.’
    • ‘All the usual suspects are available-spaghetti, linguine, penne, fettuccine, rigatoni, fusilli-to combine with napoletana, spicy arrabiata, primavera, pesto or putanesca toppings.’
    • ‘The rest of us successful Stone-Age types get hungry two hours after 1,500 calories of pasta primavera, because our insulin is stimulated and lowers blood sugar.’
    • ‘If all this puts you in the mood for pasta primavera, skip the high-fat Alfredo sauce and go for the classic red stuff.’
    • ‘Russell Crowe and Al Pacino order tempura in the film - a bit expensive, but your guests will love it - and Crowe's wife in the film mentions she's making pasta primavera (though that might be a difficult dish to present at a party).’
    • ‘‘I would fix him something quick and light - pasta primavera and white wine - though I don't know if he can eat pasta with that full mask,’ she fantasizes.’
    • ‘There is even a case to be made (though it is a matter of some debate) that Le Cirque that introduced the American public to pasta primavera and crème brûlée.’
    • ‘Tables are no longer marked by uniform rows of that lobster salad and pasta primavera.’
    • ‘My Fab friend had the pasta primavera with tomato, peppers, aubergines, zucchini, onions and rocket for €10.95.’
    • ‘In actuality, they were having pasta primavera.’
    • ‘I just can't rustle up such fantasies digging into yet another burger or pasta primavera.’

Origin

Late 19th century from Spanish, denoting the season of spring, from Latin primus ‘first, earliest’ + ver ‘spring’ (alluding to the tree's early flowering).