hors d'oeuvre

noun

Definition of hors d'oeuvrenext
as in taste
a food served in small portions before the main part of a meal a tray of assorted hors d'oeuvres

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hors d'oeuvre There was an open bar with two signature drinks – The Bubbly Rose, which featured blackberry, seltzer and vodka, and a red sangria – hors d'oeuvres and background music from a jazz trio made up of members of the Bluewater Kings Band, who would play the reception. — Hannah Kirby, jsonline.com, 17 Mar. 2026 Both anchovy paste and tomato paste can add depth to dressings, sauces, and pasta dishes; sherry vinegar is ideal for vinaigrettes and glazes; a jar of capers can elevate simple hors d'oeuvres; and chili sambals can bring the heat to eggs, marinades, and stir-fries. — Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 9 Jan. 2026 Prepare hors d'oeuvres and invite family members over for a rocking New Year's Eve gathering to reflect on the past year — and to set goals for the upcoming year together. — Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 29 Dec. 2025 Although the invitation stated that hors d'oeuvres will be provided, the Redditor doesn't believe that meets formal wedding expectations. — Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 11 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hors d'oeuvre
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hors d'oeuvre
  1. taste
  2. bite
  3. touch
  4. spot
  5. drop
  6. scrap
  7. mouthful
  8. appetizer
Noun
  • Its sweet, soft, umami-rich profile can shift the taste of a recipe, so Czerwony suggests using about half the usual amount of garlic and adjusting from there.
    — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2026
  • How to use black garlic in everyday cooking Because the two taste so different, black garlic isn’t a perfect one-for-one substitute for white garlic.
    — Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of taste
Noun
  • As the guests arrived on the wedding day, they were treated to cocktails and delicious bites before taking a seat in the ceremony area.
    — Shelby Wax, Vogue, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Serve chocolate cranberry bites, this zippy bundt cake or this cranberry curd tart on the dessert table.
    — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of bite
Noun
  • The owner of a trucking business, Collins has represented Georgia in the House since 2023, and attempted to cast Ossoff as out of touch with Georgian values.
    — Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Inside, the design mixes airy and contemporary touches (gray-blue marble, mosaic floors) with traditional details and, of course, the brand's signature orange.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of touch
Noun
  • My favorite spot to unwind was at Vilah, a bright café and coworking space on the 10th floor with a rotating Thai art exhibition.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Less than two weeks later, a golden retriever darted out onto East Drive near the same spot, and a 71-year-old cyclist slammed on the brakes, flew over the handlebars, and was killed.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of spot
Noun
  • To Nothing’s credit, the case gets IPX2 ingress protection, so a drop of rain now and then shouldn’t kill it.
    — Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Vaibhav steps into the India lineup in place of Ishan Kishan who has a groin injury and will bat at first drop unless India chooses to match him in an all left hand opening partnership with Abhishek Sharma.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of drop
Noun
  • The three suspects — two Greeks and one Albanian national — are accused of removing piping from the building’s gas supply network to sell the copper as scrap, causing a major gas leak.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026
  • There are scraps of industrial, cybergrind, metalcore, and death metal in this stew, as well as a healthy garnish of Godflesh’s machinelike relentlessness, all of it well balanced.
    — Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of scrap
Noun
  • Tall Paul said through an outraged mouthful of banoffee doughnut.
    — Kevin Barry, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2026
  • But cases are on the rise as more people report symptoms such as hives, diarrhea and itchiness after eating as little as a mouthful of red meat.
    — Dylan Lovan, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of mouthful
Noun
  • The name Off the Menu references the creative appetizers served at fine dining spots, made with unusual ingredients and unexpected juxtapositions of flavors.
    — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Smaller portions of meat served on skewers as appetizers or small plates are all over, thanks perhaps to high costs and the national hunger for protein-heavy diets.
    — John Kessler, Chicago Tribune, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of appetizer

Browse Nearby Words

horror-struck
hors d'oeuvre
hors d'oeuvres
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hors d'oeuvre.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hors%20d%27oeuvre. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on hors d'oeuvre

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hors d'oeuvre

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of cockamamie

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

The Words of the Week - Nov. 6

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All