appetizer

American  

[ap-i-tahy-zer] / ˈæp ɪˌtaɪ zər /

noun

• appetizers
  plural

1. a small portion of a food or drink served before or at the beginning of a meal to stimulate the desire to eat.

2. any small portion that stimulates a desire for more or that indicates more is to follow.

   The first game was an appetizer to a great football season.

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appetizer British  

/ ˈæpɪˌtaɪzə /

noun

1. a small amount of food or drink taken to stimulate the appetite

2. any stimulating foretaste

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• appetizers
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of appetizer

First recorded in 1860–65; appetiz(ing) + -er ¹

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Explanation

An appetizer is part of a meal that's served before the main course. You might serve your dinner guests an appetizer of crab-stuffed mushrooms when they first arrive for dinner. Usually, an appetizer is a small serving of food — just a few bites — meant to be eaten before an entree, and often shared by several people. You can also call an appetizer an hors d'oeuvre. An appetizer is meant to stimulate your appetite, making you extra hungry for your meal. This is where the word comes from, literally meaning "something to whet the appetite" or "something to appetize."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

appetizer appetizers

Nibble on an appetizer: The main course used to be the whole point of eating out at a restaurant.

From Slate ● Oct. 19, 2026

A shockingly good celery, blue cheese, walnut appetizer.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

Go for drinks and oysters with friends, or indulge as an appetizer before settling in for dinner.

From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026

In any case, the ADP report is an appetizer of sorts ahead of the main course for markets: the official U.S. employment report on Friday.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026

But when the waitress brought the bill, Allison carefully began to untangle how many drinks each person had ordered and who had the calamari appetizer, to make sure nobody paid for anybody else.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

White button mushrooms are a valuable specialty crop and a familiar ingredient in everything from salads and appetizers to everyday meals.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026

Kathleen Harper and her husband would normally share a few appetizers, but tonight they were splurging on the $50 tasting menu.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

Dinner for two at a neighborhood trattoria recently ran us $86 with appetizers, one cocktail and no dessert.

From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2026

A few of the other guests also brought sides and appetizers.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026

For appetizers, we made plantain chips, crispy yucca fries, and bacalao fritters.

From "The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora" by Pablo Cartaya

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