canapé

American  

[kan-uh-pee, -pey, ka-na-pey] / ˈkæn ə pi, -ˌpeɪ, ka naˈpeɪ /

noun

canapés plural

1. a thin piece of bread or toast or a cracker spread or topped with cheese, caviar, anchovies, or other savory food.

2. Furniture. a sofa of 18th-century France, made in any of several forms, often with matching chairs.

3. Bridge. a style of bidding in which short suits are bid before long ones.

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canapé British  

/ -ˌpeɪ, kanape, ˈkænəpɪ /

noun

1. a small piece of bread, toast, etc, spread with a savoury topping

2. (in French cabinetwork) a sofa

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• canapés
  plural

Etymology

Origin of canapé

1885–90; < French: literally, a covering or netting, originally for a bed ( see canopy), by extension for a piece of bread

Explanation

At a fancy party, that savory snack served on a small piece pastry is a canape. If you hate fish, you might want to avoid the smoked salmon canapes and instead try the little fritters with salsa on top. While canape is almost always used to mean "bite-sized party food," it also means "couch." So you could actually sit on a canape and nibble on a canape! Legend has it that a French chef trying to come up with a new type of h'ors d'oeuvre looked at his sofa and had the brilliant idea to take a small piece of bread and put something tasty on it, like a person sitting on a settee. In French, canapé means "sofa."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

canapé canapés

This canapé base is a collard blini, layered with a light and airy chevre black-eyed pea mousse and topped with a brunoise of roasted beet, lemon zest and green apple Pop Rocks.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 30, 2020

So an “efficient, affordable and zero-waste” canapé was made from cucumber, tomato, mould microprotein, dried anchovy and indian salad hydroponically grown in Clapham.

From The Guardian ● May 15, 2019

But that description misses the sneaky, subversive wit that pierces every scene of this movie like a toothpick in a canapé.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 15, 2016

Kate Spade, Gina Gershon, Parker Posey and others inhabited the pond of posing and canapé chomping as well.

From New York Times ● Feb. 6, 2013

If you have just a spoonful or so of peas, beans, spinach, cauliflower or asparagus you may use it in place of the fish, thus making a vegetable canapé.

From Mrs. Wilson's Cook Book Numerous New Recipes Based on Present Economic Conditions by Wilson, Mary A.

“Well, once I saw her, I knew we weren’t here just to eat canapés and see Corvettes. We had to help her.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 6, 2026

Guests snacked on canapés and hors d’oeuvres before proceeding upstairs for the main course.

From Slate ● Mar. 3, 2025

That's not to say Mr Hunt won't be tempted to offer around a little platter of canapés, a taster of what could come in the spring.

From BBC ● Nov. 16, 2023

He grabbed a glass of wine and a few canapés.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 13, 2023

She ordered flowers, she discussed canapés and drinks with the caterer, and she spent a whole evening with Lyra deciding whom to invite.

From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman

Related Words

• bit
• bite
• touch