appetizer

103 2.6

A small food or drink served before a main meal to make you hungry

noun
/ˈæpɪˌtaɪzər/

: aperitivo

So we started with an assortment of friends and as an appetizer we had a meat and cheese plate.

But sides are just appetizers at the same time as dinner.

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Examples

Shall we all bring appetizers?

80 for Brady (2023)
For the party, we ordered a variety of appetizers, including shrimp cocktails and bruschetta.
What is the appetizer to get people into it?
Do you want to just sit down and get an appetizer or something?

For Love or Money (1993)
- But other than the appetizer the food is frozen solid.

Poolman (2024)
What's he gonna bring out for the appetizer course?

Starsky & Hutch (2004)
My husband noticed our favorite appetizer on the menu and asked if we could try that.

Blog text (3)
Oh my God, so far best appetizer I've ever had.
Then we got highly recommended appetizer, the lobster pop tarts.
Many of you have written, asking how to zing up party appetizers.

Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)

Synonyms

cocktail

vsappetizer

52 4.1

A small first course of seafood or fruit often served with a spicy sauce

is a more general premeal option not limited to that specific mixture

hors d'oeuvre

vsappetizer

48 8.4

A small dish you have before a main meal to make you hungry

is the everyday premeal term used in many dining situations

starter

vsappetizer

9 1.9

A small dish served before the main course to begin a meal

is the broader premeal option that can be food or a drink

aperitif

vsappetizer

5 7.2

An alcoholic drink served before a meal to make you want to eat

also covers small food courses, not only premeal alcoholic drinks

appy

vsappetizer

Australian

1 9.9

A small starter dish served before the main meal in Australia and New Zealand

is the neutral common term used widely for the same premeal offering

entrada

vsappetizer

8.2

A small dish served before the main course to start a meal

is the more general word used across languages for premeal courses

light appetizer

vsappetizer

3.2

A small not heavy dish served before the main meal to make you want to eat

can be light or substantial and includes drinks as well as small dishes

Compounds

light appetizer

3.2

A small not heavy dish served before the main meal to make you want to eat

How Filling

main course

28 1.3

appetizer

103 2.6

Surface Forms

appetizer singular

appetizers plural

Morphology

appetizer = appetize (transparent) = appetiz + er

Formed from the verb 'appetize' with the nominalizing suffix '-er', yielding a thing that stimulates the appetite, which is straightforward for learners.

Etymology

Appetizer comes from the same root as appetite, from the Latin verb appetere meaning 'to desire' or 'to seek'. So an appetizer is a small dish that wakes up your appetite and makes you want to eat before the main meal.