main course
Americannoun
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Nautical. a square mainsail.
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the principal dish or course of a meal, typically including meat or fish.
noun
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the principal dish of a meal
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nautical a square mainsail
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of main course
First recorded in 1505–15
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.
Of course, these six IPOs are mere appetizers to the SpaceX main course.
From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026
The main course was a classic dover sole meunière, bathed in nutty brown butter.
From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026
The dinner’s main course — prime beef and Maine lobster — had not been served.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2026
For the main course, the steak was the clear star — perfectly cooked and served with classic sides like mashed potatoes and broccoli.
From Salon • Mar. 7, 2026
What delighted him— what he kept begging Park for—were stories about food and eating, particularly when the main course was grilled meat.
From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden
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.
