the.com/appetizer
A tiny promise your meal makes before it commits to anything.
means A small dish served before the main course to stimulate the appetite.
from Built from 'appetite,' which traces back through French to Latin 'appetitus' — 'a longing for,' from 'appetere,' to strive after or desire, combining 'ad-' (toward) and 'petere' (to seek, to rush at). The '-izer' suffix turns the noun into something that does the work: an appetizer doesn't just relate to appetite, it actively switches it on.
- french cousin
- Hors d'oeuvre literally means outside the work
- italian version
- Antipasto means before the meal, same job
- menu psychology
- Priced low to feel generous, raises total bill
- portion size
- Deliberately small so you still order dessert