Definitions
01fish eggs as food
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun Cooking
n. the eggs of a large fish, like the sturgeon, which are salted and eaten as a very expensive luxury food.
n. the salted roe of sturgeon or other large fish, traditionally served as an appetizer and regarded as a high-status delicacy.
“They served tiny pancakes with a spoonful of expensive caviar at the wedding.”
“The chef insisted on sourcing the caviar from sustainable sturgeon farms to ensure the quality met the restaurant's exacting standards.”
Synonyms
02refined quality
C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Literary
n. something that is too high-quality or sophisticated for most people to enjoy or understand.
n. an intellectual or artistic work whose refined quality makes it inaccessible or unappealing to the general public.
“The poet's complex metaphors were caviar to the general public.”
“The director's latest avant-garde film was praised by critics but proved to be caviar to the general, failing to find a mainstream audience.”
Usage
Often used in the idiom 'caviar to the general', referring to something too good for the average person.
Teaching tip
This sense is almost exclusively a literary allusion to Shakespeare's Hamlet; students will rarely encounter it outside of formal literary criticism.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“Weaver ants and their eggs are used in Thai and Cambodian cooking, while in Colombia, queen ants are as prized as caviar.” “The starter was inspired by his mother and consisted of a langoustine and green apple tartare, with a kefir and caviar sauce and tomato powder.” “If grass is the staple of hippiedom, then lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is its caviar.” Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French caviar, from Venetan caviaro (earlier found as Italian caviale), probably by way of Ottoman Turkish خاویار (havyar), from Classical Persian خَاوْیَار (xāwyār). Doublet of ajvar.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Idioms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/caviar
「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0