hors d'oeuvre
Americannoun
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a small bit of appetizing food, as spicy meat, fish, cheese, or a preparation of chopped or creamed foods, often served on crackers or small pieces of toast, for eating at cocktail parties or other gatherings where drinks are served with no other food.
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an appetizer, as a relish or more elaborate preparation, served before or as the first course of a meal.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of hors d'oeuvre
1705–15; < French: outside of the main course
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.
For those in attendance, it was an ending that felt like the opposite, an undeterred hors d’oeuvre.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 20, 2024
While these are elegant enough for a party hors d’oeuvre or nibble for a champagne brunch, I like the extra flair when there’s no special occasion other than sitting down to a family meal.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 29, 2023
It makes for an easy and impressive pantry hors d'oeuvre.
From Salon ● Aug. 18, 2021
Brentford and Swansea, two teams who play the game the ‘right’ way will serve as an hors d’oeuvre for the evening’s events in Porto when they play in the EFL Championship play-off final.
From The Guardian ● May 28, 2021
“These are delicious,” Dovie Mansfield said, finishing off another hors d’oeuvre.
From "It All Comes Down to This" by Karen English
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.
