main course

American  

noun

1. Nautical. a square mainsail.

2. the principal dish or course of a meal, typically including meat or fish.

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main course British  

noun

1. the principal dish of a meal

2. nautical a square mainsail

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Etymology

Origin of main course

First recorded in 1505–15

Example Sentences

The five-time major champion goes back to his roots with Irish champ as a main course side dish to accompany either wagyu filet mignon or seared salmon.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

Coup de Tête, a restaurant there, has prix fixe meals including a starter and a main course or a main course and a dessert that set you back a mere €19.50.

From Barron's • Mar. 8, 2026

Many guests bristle when they can’t be seated as incomplete parties, or order appetizers without putting in their main course order.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 3, 2026

But the main course was a different story.

From Salon • Oct. 31, 2025

For their main course, a little farther on, there was a whole field of winter wheat, its kernels newly ripe and soft.

From "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH" by Robert C. O'Brien