noun,pluralhors d'oeuvre,hors d'oeuvres[awr durvz; French awrdœ-vruh]/ɔr ˈdɜrvz; French ɔr ˈdœ vrə/.
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.
an appetizer, as a relish or more elaborate preparation, served before or as the first course of a meal.
1714, as an adverb, "out of the ordinary," from French hors d'oeuvre, "outside the ordinary courses (of a meal)," literally "apart from the main work," from hors, variant of fors "outside" (from Latin foris; see foreign) + de "from" + oeuvre "work," from Latin opera, (see opus). Meaning "extra dish set out before a meal or between courses" attested in English from 1742.
