bistro

[ bis-troh; French bee-stroh ]

/ ˈbɪs troʊ; French biˈstroʊ /

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noun, plural bis·tros

[bis-trohz; French bee-stroh]. /ˈbɪs troʊz; French biˈstroʊ/.

a small, modest, European-style restaurant or café.

a small nightclub or restaurant.

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Origin of bistro

1920–25; <French bistro(t), originally argot, first attested in the sense “proprietor of a tavern” (1884); of obscure origin

Words nearby bistro

bister, Bisto, bistort, bistoury, bistre, bistro, bisulcate, bisulfate, bisulfide, bisulfite, bisulphate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bistro in a sentence

It features a steel border that’s large enough to place your drink and—this is really cool—it even doubles as a bistro table when you put the cover on top.
The 8 Best Outdoor Fire Pits for S’mores, Cuddling, and More|Korin Miller|August 27, 2021|The Daily Beast
Last spring, strings of bistro lights and outdoor seating in a courtyard behind the Student Center beckoned students to gather safely outside.
Open air|Katie McLean|August 24, 2021|MIT Technology Review
Unlike in real life, the pandemic is over and the village’s bistro, bookstore and boulangerie are open.
Louise Penny’s latest mystery imagines a post-covid world. Things are still pretty complicated.|Carol Memmott|August 24, 2021|Washington Post
He worked in the front office of the Rangers for several years, coached minor league hockey for one year, opened a popular bistro in Manhattan and worked as a stockbroker.
Rod Gilbert, Hall of Fame hockey star called ‘Mr. Ranger,’ dies at 80|Matt Schudel|August 24, 2021|Washington Post

When the 1,000-seat bistro in San Diego got a new POS system a few weeks ago, it got 14 terminals and 30 handheld units for servers, which may sound like a lot, says Gregg Frazer, vice president of hospitality, but it isn’t nearly enough.
No chips, no tips: How the computer chip shortage threatens thousands of restaurant service jobs|Laura Reiley|June 11, 2021|Washington Post
In one scene set inside a Brooklyn bistro, he ogles a twenty-something French woman.
Woody Allen Plays a Creepy Pimp in ‘Fading Gigolo’ and It’s Pretty Tough to Watch|Marlow Stern|March 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Week after week we are shaken to learn that French bistro—No, Mongolian—No, Genever gin—No, soba—is THE food trend of the moment.
This Book Will Change the Way You Eat|Lucas Wittmann|December 19, 2013|DAILY BEAST
A group of modish young Angelenos has congregated at Eveleigh, a bistro off Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood.
Andrew Bachelor, a.k.a. King Bach, Is the King of Vine—And Comedy’s Next Big Thing|Marlow Stern|August 29, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The hotel is home to two restaurants, La Coronela and Santo Vino Bistro, and even makes its own Hotel California Tequila.
Mexico’s Hidden Getaway: Todos Santos, Playa Cerritos|Caroline Linton|May 26, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He was fired after making anti-Semitic comments in a Paris bistro.
Raf Simons Debuts at Christian Dior With Couture Collection|Robin Givhan|July 2, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The only place I ever had it better was at a bistro in Nice on this last permission.
Three Soldiers|John Dos Passos

British Dictionary definitions for bistro

bistro

/ (ˈbiːstrəʊ) /

noun plural -tros

a small restaurant

Word Origin for bistro

French: of obscure origin; perhaps from Russian bistro fast

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

bistro

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Origin of bistro

Words nearby bistro

Words related to bistro

How to use bistro in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bistro

Word Origin for bistro