dessert
Americannoun
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cake, pie, fruit, pudding, ice cream, etc., served as the final course of a meal.
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British. a serving of fresh fruit after the main course of a meal.
noun
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the sweet, usually last course of a meal
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(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” ( see serve)
Explanation
Served as the last course of a meal, a dessert is often sweet, like cake or pie. If you have a sweet tooth, you may wish it were the only course of the meal. The word dessert originates from an interesting French word, desservir, which actually means "to clear the table." After the dinner dishes are removed, the host brings out the dessert. These days, desserts don't always have to be a sweet course, but can instead be a savory or a cheese course. Other offbeat treats include Vidalia onion ice cream and radish pie.
Vocabulary lists containing dessert
Commonly Confused Words, List 1
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Commonly Confused Words, List 4
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Commonly Confused Words, List 6
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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.
Dessert included a chocolate cake served with crème fraîche ice cream and White House honey.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026
Dessert rarely steals my heart, but the brûléed banana sundae—made with coconut banana sorbet and crisp plantain chips—was incredible, and the perfect way to end the meal.
From Salon • Feb. 2, 2026
Lunch with Lee featured a "Peacemaker's Dessert" of gold-encrusted brownies.
From BBC • Oct. 30, 2025
Megan’s favorite color was purple, and she favored a T-shirt whose slogan read, “Life Is Uncertain. Eat Dessert First,” Mr. Heffernan said.
From New York Times • Jan. 19, 2024
Dessert came and the revelers moved inside to be free of the mosquitoes while Big Anthony’s punishment continued.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
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.
