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apéritif

American  
[ah-per-i-teef, uh-per-, a-pey-ree-teef] / ɑˌpɛr ɪˈtif, əˌpɛr-, a peɪ riˈtif /

noun

plural

apéritifs

  1. a small drink of alcoholic liquor taken to stimulate the appetite before a meal.

  2. Also called apéritif wine.  a wine served as an appetizer or cocktail.

apéritif British  
/ ɑːˌpɛrɪˈtiːf, əˌpɛr- /

noun

  1. an alcoholic drink, esp a wine, drunk before a meal to whet the appetite

"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

Etymology

Origin of apéritif

1890–95; < French ( vin ) apéritif; see aperitive

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.

Super fruity and very low in bitterness, it was an excellent, mood-elevating apéritif.

From New York Times • Apr. 6, 2023

Try an apéritif base like Lillet instead of vodka or gin to mix refreshing summer drinks that are lighter on booze without sacrificing complexity.

From Salon • Jul. 1, 2021

Pastis is named for pastis, an anise-flavored apéritif usually mixed with water and ice before serving.

From The New Yorker • Sep. 13, 2019

It works as an apéritif with olives or tapenade, and at the table, with grilled seafood.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2015

We went out to the Café Napolitain to have an apéritif and watch the evening crowd on the Boulevard.

From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway

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.