hors-d'oeuvre

A waiter offers a tray of hors-d'oeuvres at a party.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A small savory dish served before a meal: "hors-d'oeuvre" refers to a small, often cold or hot, appetizer served at the beginning of a meal, typically to stimulate the appetite. It is usually eaten with the hands and can include items like canapés, stuffed vegetables, or skewered meats.

Usage Examples

• (Small savory dishes served before the main meal.)
• (Appetizers meant to be enjoyed before dinner.)

Advanced Usage

• "hors-d'oeuvre" vs. "appetizer": While often used interchangeably, "hors-d'oeuvre" typically refers to a single, small, and often elegant dish served before a meal, whereas "appetizer" can be a broader term for any first course.
  • The chef presented a single, exquisite hors-d'oeuvre of foie gras on toast. (A refined, standalone starter.)
• "hors-d'oeuvre" as a course: In formal dining, hors-d'oeuvres are served separately from the main meal, often passed around on trays or arranged on a buffet.
  • The waiter offered a tray of hors-d'oeuvres to guests before the sit-down dinner. (The appetizer course served before seating.)

Variants and Related Words

• Hors-d'oeuvres (plural): multiple small dishes of this type.
  • The menu listed several hors-d'oeuvres, including shrimp cocktail and bruschetta. (Multiple appetizers.)
• Hors-d'oeuvre tray (n): a platter or tray used to serve such dishes.
  • The caterer arranged the hors-d'oeuvres on a large silver tray. (A serving vessel for appetizers.)

Synonyms

• Appetizer: a small dish served before a meal to stimulate the appetite.
• Starter: a first course in a meal, often synonymous with appetizer.
• Canapé: a small, decorative piece of bread or pastry topped with savory items, a specific type of hors-d'oeuvre.

Related Idioms

• "To make a hors-d'oeuvre of something": (rare, informal) to treat something as a minor or preliminary matter.
  • He made a hors-d'oeuvre of the negotiation, focusing on trivial details first. (He dealt with a small part before the main issue.)

Notes on Usage

• The word "hors-d'oeuvre" is borrowed from French, meaning "outside the work" (i.e., outside the main course). It is often used in formal or culinary contexts.
• In English, the spelling may include a hyphen (hors-d'oeuvre) or be written as two words (hors d'oeuvre), but the hyphenated form is standard in dictionaries.
• The plural is traditionally "hors-d'oeuvres" (with an 's'), but in French, it remains unchanged; in English, both forms are acceptable.