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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.
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Examples of entrée in a Sentence
Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2024
From flavorful tapas to mouthwatering entrees, every bite is a celebration of taste and freshness.
—Amanda Hancock, The Courier-Journal, 31 July 2024
Hanson and Nasr have kept the restaurant prix fixe, with your choice of 10 appetizers, 10 entrees, and five desserts, all takes on classic French bistro fare.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 31 July 2024
The menu features appetizers and soups, steaks, seafood dishes, chicken, ribs and Tomahawk pork chop entrees, plus burgers, sandwiches and salads.
—Michael Burgess, Charlotte Observer, 26 July 2024
That said, there’s more to grilling than slapping a slab of meal on your grates, cranking up the burners, and waiting until your entree of choice has a few char marks.
—Kelsey Mulvey, Sunset Magazine, 20 June 2024
The Chicago Tribune named communal dining one of the 10 worst dining trends of the 2000s, more annoying than molecular gastronomy or $40 entrees.
—Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 16 July 2024
Running 15 tracks in length, the project comes off the heels of multiple teasers to spread the word about the entree.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 13 July 2024
The roasted mushroom entree at Colette arrives on an antique floral dish that looks like it was selected from your great-grandmother's china cabinet.
—Keith Pandolfi, The Enquirer, 9 July 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'entrée.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near entrée
Cite this Entry
“Entrée.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/entr%C3%A9e. Accessed 18 Aug. 2024.
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entrée
nounfrom French entrée "act or manner of entering"
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