appetizer

noun

ap·pe·tiz·er | \ˈa-pə-ˌtī-zər

Definition of appetizer

1 : a food or drink that stimulates the appetite and is usually served before a meal The appetizers included shrimp with cocktail sauce, vegetables and dips, cheeses, and fruits.

2 : something that stimulates a desire for more a literary appetizer hoped that the short trip would be an appetizer for longer ones

Examples of appetizer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The event, which is open to everyone not just military members, will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. and the $35 tickets will include appetizers paired with beer tastings. — Julie Gallant, Ramona Sentinel, "Nonprofit links veterans to youths who lost military parent," 21 June 2018 Wilson, who previously worked for Bartolotta Restaurants at Bacchus, is planning dishes such as crisp flatbread with roasted peaches, ricotta and 'nduja, the spicy salami-like spread, as an appetizer. — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Brandywine restaurant opens for dinner July 5 in Cedarburg," 22 June 2018 Concerts, of course, are promotional tools, so toward the end of the night, Khalid performed three unreleased songs in a row as an appetizer for a new album coming in the fall. — Wesley Case, baltimoresun.com, "R&B singer Khalid inches toward adulthood at MECU Pavilion," 5 June 2018 Serve as an appetizer with cocktail sauce or other dipping sauce such as aioli, chimichurri or harissa. — Kim Sunée, Anchorage Daily News, "Grilling season is here; prosciutto-wrapped shrimp are a perfect way to celebrate," 31 May 2018 The traditional Hot and Hot Tomato Salad is available as an appetizer for $15, and the entree version with shrimp is $36. — Bob Carlton, AL.com, "Ode to an Alabama classic, the Hot and Hot Tomato Salad," 1 May 2018 For lunch, get the selection of salads as an appetizer and the meatball tagine as your main—and prepare to fondly drool at their memory long after your ceramic dishes have been cleared. — Jaimie Potters, Marie Claire, "Weekend Trip Guide: Where to Stay, Eat, and Explore in Marrakech, Morocco," 16 Mar. 2018 Both the terrine and the Cannellini Bean Soup are listed as appetizers but with a side salad could make a meal. — Debbi Snook, cleveland.com, "Michaelangelo's in Cleveland's Little Italy: Still Northern Italian after all these years (photos, review)," 9 Mar. 2018 The most famous dishes are the tender and giant meatballs, served as an appetizer; another starter, the cold seafood salad; lemon chicken; rich, creamy penne all vodka; and on-the-bone veal chop Milanese. — Larry Olmsted, USA TODAY, "Great American restaurants where presidents have dined," 15 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'appetizer.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.