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
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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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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
Back in the speakeasy lounge, guests favor lite fare like charcuterie and pork belly sliders from a menu curated by chef Travis Allen and culinary director Thomas Boemer, a multi-time James Beard award nominee.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 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
The work of the members of the Provisional Government seemed mainly to consist in consuming enormous quantities of charcuterie and washing them down with copious libations of cheap wine.
From An Englishman in Paris Notes and Recollections by Albert D.
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
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
