charcuterie
Americannoun
plural
charcuteries-
cooked, processed, or cured cold meats and meat products, originally and typically pork products, as sausages, pâtés, hams, etc.
-
a store where these products are sold.
noun
-
cooked cold meats
-
a shop selling cooked cold meats
Etymology
Origin of charcuterie
1855–60; < French; Middle French chaircuterie, equivalent to chaircut ( ier ) charcutier + -erie -ery
Explanation
Charcuterie is a culinary term for prepared meats like bacon, sausage, salami, and prosciutto. It's also a term for a shop that specializes in them. If you've ever prepared or snacked on a charcuterie board, you probably picture a spread of meats, cheeses, fruit, olives, crackers, and other tasty items. These are often served before a meal or as party hors d'oeuvres. Technically, the word charcuterie refers just to the meat; in French, the word literally means "pork-butcher's shop," from char cuite, "cooked flesh."
Vocabulary lists containing charcuterie
National Spelling Bee '14: Semifinals and Finals
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5th Grade World Cuisine, List 3
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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.
On offer: a spread of cheap charcuterie, including “the flaccid processed grey of a turkey ham.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
Jon's friends think what they do is "funny but great", but not everyone is a fan of the charcuterie board.
From BBC • Dec. 24, 2025
Serve them on a charcuterie board, snack on slices straight from the package, or tuck them into an omelet.
From Salon • Dec. 4, 2025
In one, she makes a charcuterie board for her 10 crabs, complete with peach slices, crickets, and octopus, purchased from a specialty site called Hermit Grub.
From Slate • Aug. 19, 2025
These difficulties do not exist in the case of what the French call charcuterie.
From France and the Republic A Record of Things Seen and Learned in the French Provinces During the 'Centennial' Year 1889 by Hurlbert, William Henry
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.
