# caviar

/ˈkæviˌɑɹ/ (US) · /kˈævɪˌɑː/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/caviar
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 2. something too refined for most people

noun · CEFR C2 · Literary

something that is very high-quality or artistic, but which most people do not understand or enjoy.

For teachers: something considered too sophisticated, refined, or intellectual for the taste of the general public.

- His complex poetry was caviar to the general public, who preferred simpler stories.
- The director's latest avant-garde film proved to be caviar to the general, receiving praise from critics but failing at the box office.

Teaching tip: This sense is often used in the idiom 'caviar to the general', which comes from Shakespeare's Hamlet.

## Examples

- They served expensive caviar on small pieces of toast.
- The waiter carefully placed a small spoonful of black caviar onto the guest's plate during the gala dinner.
- While traditionally sourced from the Caspian Sea, modern environmental regulations have shifted much of the global caviar production to sustainable sturgeon farms in Europe and North America.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.