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amuse-bouche

American  
[ah-mooz-boosh, a-myz-boosh] / ɑˈmuzˈbuʃ, aˌmüzˈbuʃ /

noun

amuse-bouches, plural amuse-bouche plural
  1. a small appetizer as served, usually without charge, in a restaurant.


amuse-bouche British  
/ amyzbuʃ /

noun

  1. an appetizer before a meal

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

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.

See Examples For:

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

“I didn’t know what an amuse-bouche was, and for that reason I will always root for ‘Top Chef.’”

From Salon Sep. 12, 2024

Plus, the horror elements have actual life-or-death stakes; for a while that makes the silliness of the film’s amuse-bouche jolts and set pieces diverting enough.

From Los Angeles Times Oct. 27, 2023

A little amuse-bouche before the apex of all grilling events, the Fourth of July.

From Seattle Times Jun. 27, 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

All of these parades are amuse-bouches leading up to the big week of Fat Tuesday.

From Seattle Times Feb. 14, 2023

These amuse-bouches were then fenced for cash by Israel in those venerable independent bookshops of Manhattan that did a bit of literary memorabilia-dealing on the side.

From The Guardian Jan. 14, 2019

The US has no shortage of outstanding restaurants that serve everything from flavor-packed amuse-bouches to hand-crafted desserts.

From Time Aug. 17, 2017

On Tuesday night, the Kennedy Center kicked off its Ireland 100 festival with a smorgasbord of amuse-bouches of coming events highlighting the cultural riches of Erin.

From Washington Post May 18, 2016

The glassware and porcelain are extraordinary, the number of amuse-bouches overwhelming, the seafood flown in from Maine and Marseille.

From New York Times Jun. 26, 2012

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