# pastiche

> English word · Noun · IPA /pæsˈtiːʃ/ · frequency rank #51,905

## Definitions
1. A work of art, drama, literature, music, or architecture that imitates the work of a previous artist, usually in a positive or neutral way.
2. A musical medley, typically quoting other works.
3. An incongruous mixture; a hodgepodge.
4. A postmodern playwriting technique that fuses a variety of styles, genres, and story lines to create a new form.

## Etymology
Via French pastiche, from Italian pasticcio (“pie, something blended”), from Vulgar Latin *pastīcius, from Late Latin pasta (“dough, pastry cake, paste”), from Ancient Greek παστά (pastá, “barley porridge”), from παστός (pastós, “sprinkled with salt”). Doublet of pasticcio.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/pastiche