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The culinary sense of entrée can be traced back to 18th-century Britain. In those days a formal dinner could include not only the principal courses of soup, fish, meat, and dessert, but also an impressive array of side dishes. Between the fish and meat courses would come a small side dish, and because this secondary dish came immediately before the centerpiece of the meal, it was called the entrée, being, in effect, the entrance to the really important part of the meal. As dining habits have changed, meals have become simpler, and fewer courses are served. However, in the US, the course following the appetizer continued to be called the entrée, perhaps because it is a French word, and anything French always sounds elegant.
Synonyms
Examples of entrée in a Sentence
Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 8 Feb. 2025
The chain restaurant will post promos on X and Instagram that reward up to 50,000 free entrees throughout the game.
—Sabrina Weiss, People.com, 3 Feb. 2025
There’s a swath of wine, cocktails, appetizers, desserts and entrees to choose from, but it’s not meant to overwhelm the customer who’s not used to eating at restaurants with white tablecloths.
—Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 1 Feb. 2025
Where there’s a group, there’s bound to be a spread of delicious appetizers, sides, dips and savory entrees to be had.
—Nick Siano, Miami Herald, 27 Jan. 2025
Spend your days exploring the great outdoors on nature walks, blissed out at the spa on the property, or sampling entrees and desserts at the on-site restaurant–all within plain view of the Hudson river.
—Rachel Fletcher, Architectural Digest, 23 Jan. 2025
Available only as a lunch menu, your options involve many choices for starters, entrees and desserts.
—Michele Herrmann, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025
Wednesday’s special is $20 for admission, one entree and any Coke product.
—Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Jan. 2025
Rostam 36 balances its hops’ bitterness with the addition of orange blossoms, whose floral taste frequently appears in Persian entrees and desserts.
—Benjy Egel, Sacramento Bee, 9 Jan. 2025
Dictionary Entries Near entrée
Cite this Entry
“Entrée.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/entr%C3%A9e. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.
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entrée
nounfrom French entrée "act or manner of entering"
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