amuse-bouche
Americannoun
plural
amuse-bouches, amuse-bouchenoun
Etymology
Origin of amuse-bouche
1955–60; < French amuser to gratify, amuse + bouche mouth
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.
This is the type of movie that serves as an amuse-bouche to proper, headier dramas for the PG-13 crowd, and its bespoke accessibility is thoroughly appealing.
From Salon • Mar. 19, 2026
If we were wrong on the timeline—and that is a greater risk now—the recent weakness in financial markets could be an amuse-bouche before a bearish feast.
From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026
But that’s probably just an amuse-bouche, launching a full-size meal.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 16, 2026
They are the amuse-bouche, the tasty appetizer before the party gets serious and sits for the meal.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 24, 2023
“They makes a fine amuse-bouche for the king of the sea.”
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
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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.