hors d'oeuvre
Americannoun
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hors d'oeuvre,
plural
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hors d'oeuvres
plural
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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.
Shortly after opening Houseman, Baldwin was thinking about putting oeuf mayonnaise — a classic hors d'oeuvre featuring hard-boiled eggs topped with seasoned mayonnaise — as a dish on the menu.
From Salon ● Jun. 7, 2025
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
For the Oscars this year, I wanted to do a classic hors d’oeuvre: puff pastry flavored with fig jam and caramelized onions.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 7, 2023
Do you need a last-minute hors d’oeuvre to accompany all that bubbly you’ve got in the fridge?
From New York Times ● Dec. 31, 2022
No husbands involved, Janis had said, proffering the idea as though it were an hors d’oeuvre.
From "Typical American" by Gish Jen
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.
