English Reference
Noun

appetizer

n.
B1 Intermediate US /ˈæpəˌtaɪzɝ/ ap·pe·tiz·er UK spelling appetiser, appetizers

n.a small dish served before a main meal to make you hungry. You usually eat these while you are waiting for the main course.

n.a small dish or snack served before a main meal to stimulate the appetite. Often used in the plural to refer to the entire course.


SIMPLE

The restaurant offers a delicious seafood appetizer.

CONTEXTUAL

We ordered a plate of olives and cheese as an appetizer while we waited for the main course.

COMPLEX

The chef prepared a sophisticated appetizer featuring smoked salmon and a delicate dill cream, designed to complement the forthcoming main dishes.


From appetize + -er.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B1 · Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated