tapenade

noun

ta·​pe·​nade ˌtä-pə-ˈnäd 

: a seasoned spread made chiefly with mashed black olives, capers, and anchovies

Examples of tapenade in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In a cheese spread: Serve mixed-olive tapenade with your cheese spread. —Kirsten Nunez, Martha Stewart, 23 Apr. 2026

The 11-year-old’s lunches consist of cheese sandwiches with olive tapenade, cucumber sandwiches and rice with nori. —Jenna Thompson march 27, Kansas City Star, 27 Mar. 2026

The three-course experience begins with starter options like za’atar focaccia with chile-olive tapenade, piquillo tahini fip with crudité and pita, and smoked salmon carpaccio with caper relish and everything-bagel gremolata. —Imelda García, Dallas Morning News, 20 Mar. 2026

Although many of our favorites come from other cultures — guacamole and salsa from Mexico; tapenade and bagna cauda from Italy; hummus from the Middle East. —Carolynn Carreño, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French tapénade, from Occitan tapenado, from tapeno caper, ultimately from Latin capparis — more at caper entry 3

First Known Use

1952, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tapenade

• accolade
• ambuscade
• antegrade
• balustrade
• barricade
• cannonade
• cavalcade
• centigrade
• chambermaid
• colonnade
• countertrade
• disobeyed