Hors d'oeuvre

"Appetizer" and "appetiser" redirect here. For drugs that stimulate an appetite, see appetite stimulant

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An hors d'oeuvre (/ɔːr ˈdɜːrv(rə)/ or DURV(-rə); French: hors-d'œuvre [ɔʁ dœvʁ] ⓘ), appetiser[1] or starter[2] is a small dish served before a meal[3] in European cuisine. Some hors d'oeuvres are served cold, others hot.[4] Hors d'oeuvres may be served at the dinner table as a part of the meal, or they may be served before seating, such as at a reception or cocktail party. Formerly, hors d'oeuvres were also served between courses.[5]

Typically smaller than a main dish, an hors d'oeuvre is often designed to be eaten by hand.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Verma1999 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cracknell & Kaufmann 1999, p. 87.
  3. ^ Maurice Waite (9 May 2013). Pocket Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. p. 439. ISBN 978-0-19-966615-7.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Cracknell & Kaufmann-1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Oxford English Dictionary, First Edition, 1899 s.v. Archived 17 November 2020 at the Wayback Machine