Main Entry:

cav·i·ar

Variant(s):

also cav·i·are \ˈka-vē-ˌär also ˈkä-\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

earlier cavery, caviarie, from obsolete Italian caviari, plural of caviaro, from Turkish havyar

Date:

circa 1560

1 : processed salted roe of large fish (as sturgeon) 2 : something considered too delicate or lofty for mass appreciation —usually used in the phrase caviar to the general 3 : something considered the best of its kind <the caviar of porcelain>