caviar

noun cav·i·ar \ ˈka-vē-ˌär also ˈkä- \

variants: or less commonly caviare

|Updated on: 8 Jul 2018

Definition of caviar

1 : processed salted roe of large fish (such 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

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Recent Examples of caviar from the Web

There’s also a sandwich called the Millionaire made with salmon, crème fraîche, saffron aioli and caviar.

— jenn harris, latimes.com, "The California Hot Sauce Expo is a two-day hot sauce party. Are you ready?," 3 July 2018
The Treasury Department on Wednesday revoked licenses that allowed U.S.-controlled foreign firms to export commercial aircraft parts to Iran as well as permit Americans to trade in Iranian carpets, pistachios and caviar.

— matthew lee, Fox News, "US begins to dismantle Iran nuclear deal sanctions relief," 27 June 2018
No set menu; let the chef surprise you with things like chips, walnut butter, and caviar or scallop crudo in tea broth.

— kara baskin, BostonGlobe.com, "8 great summer dates," 6 June 2018
That didn’t work, and the pregame caviar didn’t help the Cubs win in 2010 either.

— paul sullivan, chicagotribune.com, "Psychobabble could be the answer for the Cubs — or not," 7 May 2018
The chartreuse caviar is a touch of whimsy served alongside a cocktail called the Canary Trap ($16), a highball variant of a Tom Collins imagined by head bartender Jess Lambert.

— michael nagrant, RedEye Chicago, "Worth a trip: Mezcal old fashioned from Vol. 39," 20 Dec. 2017
The reception had become a champagne-and-caviar version of a Rolling Stones tour stop.

— david denby, The New Yorker, "Leonard Bernstein Through His Daughter’s Eyes," 16 June 2018
The menu includes a selection of caviar and 28-day dry-aged steaks.

— joy sewing, San Antonio Express-News, "Weekend getaway: Your guide to all things Galveston," 11 June 2018
There’s a sense of decadence to the way EBO celebrates oysters and caviar, but absolutely no pretense.

— todd plummer, Vogue, "This Oyster-and-Caviar Pop-Up Is Shaking Up Boston’s Culinary Scene," 4 June 2018

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

Did You Know?

The eggs, or roe, of sturgeon are called caviar. Preserved with salt, caviar is usually eaten as an appetizer. Most true caviar is produced in Russia and Iran, from fish taken from the Caspian and Black seas. The best grade, beluga, is prepared from large black or gray eggs; fresh beluga caviar is relatively scarce and thus expensive. Lesser grades are from smaller, denser eggs. In the U.S., the roe of salmon, whitefish, lumpfish, and paddlefish is sometimes sold under the name caviar.