caviar
noun
the roe of sturgeon, especially the beluga, or other fish, usually served as an hors d'oeuvre or appetizer.
caviar
American
[kav-ee-ahr, kav-ee-ahr]
/ ˈkæv iˌɑr, ˌkæv iˈɑr /
Or
caviare
noun
CAVIAR
1
British
/ ˈkævɪˌɑː /
acronym
caviar
2
British
/ ˌkævɪˈɑː, ˈkævɪˌɑː /
noun
Etymology
Origin of caviar
First recorded in 1585–95; apparently back formation from caviarie, perhaps from obsolete Italian caviari, plural of caviaro (modern Italian caviale ), of disputed origin; apparently from Turkish havyar, from Persian
Explanation
Caviar is food that's considered a delicacy, although it's really just fish eggs. You might find caviar on the menu at a fancy restaurant. Typically, caviar comes from large fish like sturgeon or salmon, whose eggs are cleaned and lightly salted. Caviar looks like tiny bubbles, ranging in color from black to gray to red, depending on the type of fish. It tastes mildly fishy and salty. The word caviar is French, from a Persian root, khaviyar, from khaya, "egg."
Vocabulary lists containing caviar
World Cuisine - Introductory
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World Cuisine - Middle School and High School
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Russia - Introductory
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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.
At the exclusive terminal for the rich and the famous at Los Angeles International Airport, passengers are greeted with champagne and caviar, then whisked directly to their planes in a customized BMW.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
You are, I’m sorry to say, making caviar out of scrambled eggs.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026
Weaver ants and their eggs are used in Thai and Cambodian cooking, while in Colombia, queen ants are as prized as caviar.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
I have never ordered the delicacy even during that caviar bump trend, but when in Rome…
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
He loved introducing me to special tidbits, and by the age of nine I had developed a passionate taste for cold vichyssoise and caviar and anchovy paste.
From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath
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.
