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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
Zoe Denenberg, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2024
Salads, sandwiches, pasta and a few entrees (pesto salmon, chicken Parmesan, short rib) round out the menu.
—David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 11 Apr. 2024
There was an entree inspired by a California roll and a performance by Paul Simon.
—Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2024
Purple Carrot offers thoughtful, modern vegan entrees.
—PCMAG, 10 Apr. 2024
The menu will also boast entrees like lasagna bolognese, sides of fresh sourdough bread and affordable bottles of wine.
—Lily O'Neill, The Denver Post, 4 Apr. 2024
The main entree of our trip is a handful of days in chaotic Naples, where a cavalcade of cousins kindly host us.
—Rob Ledonne, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Mar. 2024
Misia Sert in Cannes Photo: Getty Images Most Popular
If Vera hoisted Chanel up within London’s aristocratic echelon, Misia would be her entree to Paris’s bohemian set.
—Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 27 Mar. 2024
The menu changes weekly, the portions are hearty and the flavors soulful, and the entrees tend to follow the family-table formula of protein, vegetable and starch.
—John Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 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 24 Apr. 2024.
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entrée
nounfrom French entrée "act or manner of entering"
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