charcuterie

noun

char·​cu·​te·​rie (ˌ)shär-ˌkü-tə-ˈrē 

1

a

: cooked or cured meat products (such as salami or prosciutto) that are usually served cold

… we nibbled on rich charcuterie from Béarn, in southwest France, served with slices of warm … bread. There were rillettes of goose, a pork pâté, and … blood sausage.

—Jeffrey Steingarten

… all manner of charcuterie—from wing-shaped pancetta to whole-leg hams …

—Michelle Huneven

… hit the shops in Beaune for a fresh baguette, charcuterie and cheese, and make a picnic of it …

—Harvey Steiman

b

or charcuterie board : a selection of charcuterie accompanied by other foods (such as cheese, nuts, fruit, crackers, or bread) and served usually on a board

The charcuterie is quite the sight with cured meats, cheeses, homemade pickles and spreads (of course) with sourdough.

—Robyn George

… charcuterie boards feature a variety of cold cuts and cured meats, cheese, crackers, bread, fruits and nuts that are served on a wooden board or stone slab.

—Nandini Ganguly

A charcuterie board, for instance, comes with capocollo, Genoa salami, cured duck, mustard, a popover, maple-smoked cheddar and rustic black-pepper crackers …

—Mabel Suen

It's no secret that the grocery store's selection of cheese, crackers, meats, fruits, pickles and other charcuterie goodies is abundant.

—Justine Lee

c

: the culinary art of preparing and serving charcuterie

… newfound enthusiasm for the old-world art of charcuterie means that cured meats of all kinds will be arriving on a menu near you …

—Margo Leach

2

plural charcuteries : a shop specializing in charcuterie

This butcher shop and grocery store is the closest thing New York has to a French charcuterie.

—Mimi Sheraton

With just a few hours' notice, this … charcuterie will customize any picnic lunch or dinner you please.

—Jonna Veitch Carls

Examples of charcuterie in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Its breakfast buffet is one of the best in the Maldives, with a cold room filled with charcuterie, salads, yogurts, and cheeses. — Katie Lockhart, Robb Report, 16 July 2026

Items in the all-day menu include delicious mini Wagyu beef sliders, a wild mushroom ravioli, and an artisan charcuterie board comprising Iberico ham, truffle salami, chorizo picante, and cornichons. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 July 2026

We are warmly welcomed into the auberge, sitting before a fire unchanged in six generations and an immense board of charcuterie, pâté and cheese. — Andy McGrath, New York Times, 11 July 2026

Every part of the animal ends up in a home—offcuts end up folded into croquettes, parts of all manner end up as old school charcuterie and fat from beef is turned into chicharron. — Kate Dingwall, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, pork-butcher's shop, from Middle French chaircuiterie, from chaircutier pork butcher, from chair cuite cooked meat

First Known Use

1825, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for charcuterie

• kashmiri
• beery
• bleary
• cheery
• cirri
• dearie
• deary
• dreary
• eerie
• kiri
• leary
• leery