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
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There’s no recipe that has truffle oil or crème fraiche or caviar.
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Inside the nearby Essex Street Market, a neighborhood fixture since 1940, well before food halls were all the rage, caviar is sold from under the watchful eye of a caribou head.
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Located inside the Metropolitan by COMO, the Traymore presents food that is appealing and approachable without gobs of pork belly, foie gras or caviar to make it so.
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Or at least a little too crunchy for the caviar-and-Champagne set?
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.
Origin and Etymology of caviar
earlier cavery, caviarie, from obsolete Italian caviari, plural of caviaro, from Turkish havyar
First Known Use: circa 1560
CAVIAR Defined for English Language Learners
caviar
playDefinition of caviar for English Language Learners
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: the eggs of a large fish (such as the sturgeon) that are salted and eaten as food
Learn More about caviar
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See words that rhyme with caviar Spanish Central: Translation of caviar Nglish: Translation of caviar for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about caviar
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