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>