dessert
Americannoun
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desserts
plural
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cake, pie, fruit, pudding, ice cream, etc., served as the final course of a meal.
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British. a serving of fresh fruit after the main course of a meal.
noun
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the sweet, usually last course of a meal
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(esp formerly) fruit, dates, nuts, etc, served at the end of a meal
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of dessert
First recorded in 1780–90; from French, derivative of desservir “to remove what was served, clear the table,” from Old French, from des- dis- 1 + servir “to serve” ( see serve)
Explanation
Served as the last course of a meal, a dessert is often sweet, like cake or pie. If you have a sweet tooth, you may wish it were the only course of the meal. The word dessert originates from an interesting French word, desservir, which actually means "to clear the table." After the dinner dishes are removed, the host brings out the dessert. These days, desserts don't always have to be a sweet course, but can instead be a savory or a cheese course. Other offbeat treats include Vidalia onion ice cream and radish pie.
Vocabulary lists containing dessert
Commonly Confused Words, List 1
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Commonly Confused Words, List 4
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Commonly Confused Words, List 6
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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:
For dessert, Proust's beloved madeleines and mirabelles jostled for attention with distinctly American-accented glazed doughnuts.
From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026
He’s built custom projects for the Long Beach dessert shop SnoCorner and Peruvian food truck Mikhuna, along with major 30- and 40-foot catering trucks for high-profile clients like Google and Monster Energy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
South Korean prosecutors sought a one-year jail term for the owner of a Michelin-starred restaurant accused of using ants as a dessert garnish, local media reported.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
The second becomes dessert — or, more brunchily, “a little something sweet” —in the form of miniature jam pastries topped with citrus-whipped ricotta.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
We had Chips Ahoy for dessert every night and Pop-Tarts after school.
From "How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon
"You will see fast food, Indian breads and curries, desserts, and whatever else people have been sending," said Kaanita, a 21-year-old student.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
These ingredients are frequently added to ultra processed products, including flavored water, soft drinks, energy drinks, yogurt and desserts marketed as low in calories.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 18, 2026
We gather in sixes and eights for dinner at places chosen more for their decibels than their desserts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
"There's been a shift lately in adding whimsical elements to your everyday, with things like sprinkles on matcha, yoghurt bowls and desserts."
From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026
It’s not Sunday dinner without the bread and desserts, though.
From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina
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.
