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.
These are the proteins to reach for when you want the main course to feel like the main event.
From Salon ● Jul. 12, 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
Her Swiss chard and okra stew makes a delicious main course served over polenta, while her coconut fish curry evokes the country’s long coast.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026
After the main course there would be a salad.
From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan
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.
