dessert
Americannoun
-
desserts
plural
-
cake, pie, fruit, pudding, ice cream, etc., served as the final course of a meal.
-
British. a serving of fresh fruit after the main course of a meal.
noun
-
the sweet, usually last course of a meal
-
(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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Voilà: Croissant Lingo
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Commonly Confused Words, List 4
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
If the sauce needs nothing from me, I can spend that energy making dessert, mixing a cocktail for guests, warming bread — or simply deciding which sparkling water sounds good.
From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2026
One time, both mother and daughter ordered the most expensive dessert at about $16 each only to eat half of one and left the other — that kind of waste.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026
At age 13, I swore off pop, junk food and, most relevant for my nuptials, dessert.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
Bruna Subashi, an energetic woman in her 40s, asked to convene in a luridly pink dessert parlor on Vlore’s waterfront called Big Scoop.
From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026
After a quick stop at the dessert station for a jumbo pecan brownie, I follow my family to a circle of painted lawn chairs.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
I missed the creative process and dreaming-up desserts seemed like the perfect outlet.
From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2026
“Wattle seed’s coffee and chocolate notes add a native differential to certain dishes, but specifically desserts and canapés,” says Bendrau.
From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026
Pereira says sweetcorn in desserts and drinks is "very slowly easing its way" into the UK food scene.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
A. We have a wealth of recipes in our WSJ recipe database, meaning there are plenty of options for enjoying salads, desserts and drinks this summer free of cyclospora anxiety.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
“This whole week, Mama would have been making gingerbread, and all the desserts for Christmas Eve.”
From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron
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.
