charcuterie
Americannoun
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charcuteries
plural
-
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
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for January 20–January 26, 2024
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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.
See Examples For:
The four-course dinner started with Alaska’s signature charcuterie plate and ended with the sundae cart.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
It happens regularly – because charcuterie is part of the French country tradition – but not exclusively.
From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2026
The employees who hand out the goodies say the charcuterie box is the most popular item.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 4, 2026
We already know, from the rise of charcuterie boards, snack plates and the much-debated “girl dinner,” that mix-and-match formats are inherently pleasurable.
From Salon ● Feb. 12, 2026
He drew up before a charcuterie and mopped his face.
From Jonah and Co. by Dornford Yates
Banh mis already represent a melding of cultures — baguettes and charcuteries from colonial France; pickled vegetables, herbs and chilies from Vietnam.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 15, 2021
The Pinxto owners have turned their former space on Second Avenue into Bar Abajo, with a simple “gins & tins” menu of mostly cheeses, charcuteries and tin snacks such as octopus and sardines.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 31, 2017
There are four nearby tables piled high with grape leaves, various cheeses, pita bread tips, and charcuteries.
From Slate ● Apr. 17, 2012
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.
