noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   A small, light, and usually savory first course in a meal.
2. 2
   food or drink to stimulate the appetite (usually served before a meal or as the first course) wordnet
3. 3
   Something that creates or increases excitement for what is to follow.

Synonyms

All synonyms

starterantepastaperitifappetiserappyappy

Example

More examples

"Squash flowers can be prepared as an appetizer."

Etymology

From appetize + -er.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.