dessert
Americannoun
-
cake, pie, fruit, pudding, ice cream, etc., served as the final course of a meal.
-
British. a serving of fresh fruit after the main course of a meal.
noun
-
the sweet, usually last course of a meal
-
(esp formerly) fruit, dates, nuts, etc, served at the end of a meal
Etymology
Origin of dessert
First recorded in 1780–90; from French, derivative of desservir “to remove what was served, clear the table,” from Old French, from des- dis- 1 + servir “to serve” ( serve )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Lily strays toward a dessert table already crowded with cookies and brownies, but I grab her hand and redirect her toward Aunt Melissa.
From Literature
I couldn’t understand why we all weren’t skipping the main course and heading right for dessert.
From Literature
A plate of fresh fruit and cheese instead of dessert.
From Salon
At dawn and sunset, Ananda, 63, climbs towering Caryota urens trees to collect the sweet, milky sap that is boiled into treacle -- a caramel-coloured syrup with a pleasant aroma that enhances the flavour of desserts.
From Barron's
Not everyone wants their celebration to hinge on a single, expensive dessert.
From Salon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
