hors d’oeuvre

hors d’oeuvre
\ \ [18] In French, hors d’oeuvre means literally ‘outside the work’ – that is, ‘not part of the ordinary set of courses in a meal’. The earliest record of its use in English is in the general sense ‘out of the ordinary’ (‘The Frenzy of one who is given up for a Lunatick, is a Frenzy hors d’ oeuvre … something which is singular in its kind’, Joseph Addison, Spectator 1714), but this did not survive beyond the 18th century.
\ \ Alexander Pope, in his Dunciad 1742, was the first to use the word in its modern culinary sense. (French oeuvre ‘work’, incidentally, comes from Latin opera ‘work’, source of or related to English copious, manoeuvre, opera, operate, and opulent.)
\ \ Cf.⇒ D’OEUVRE, COPIOUS, MANOEUVRE, MANURE, OPERA, OPERATE, OPULENT

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • hors d'oeuvre — hors d oeuvre …   Deutsch Wörterbuch

  • Hors d'oeuvre — Sn Vorspeise, Nebensache per. Wortschatz fach. (19. Jh.) Entlehnung. Entlehnt aus frz. hors d oeuvre Nebensache (eigentlich außerhalb des Werks ). Hauptanwendungsbereich des Wortes ist die Bezeichung der Vorspeisen, für die das Wort auch entlehnt …   Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen sprache

  • hors d'oeuvre — [ôr΄dʉrv′; ] Fr [ ō̂r dë′vr ] n. pl. hors d oeuvres [dʉrvz′] or Fr. hors d oeuvre [dë′vr ] [Fr, lit., outside of work < hors, outside (< L foris) + de, of (see DE ) + oeuvre, work (< L opera, works)] a small portion of a tasty food… …   English World dictionary

  • hors d'oeuvre — 1714, as an adverb, out of the ordinary, from Fr. hors d oeuvre, outside the ordinary courses (of a meal), lit. apart from the main work, from hors, variant of fors outside (from L. fortis) + de from + oeuvre work, from L. opera, (see OPUS (Cf …   Etymology dictionary

  • hors-d'oeuvre — hors d oeu·vre s.m.inv. ES fr. {{wmetafile0}} antipasto {{line}} {{/line}} DATA: 1766. ETIMO: fr. hors d oeuvre propr. parte aggiunta di una costruzione , comp. di hors fuori e oeuvre opera …   Dizionario italiano

  • hors-d'oeuvre — n. m. inv. d1./d ARCHI Pièce qui fait saillie, dans un édifice. d2./d Cour. Mets servi au début du repas. Des hors d oeuvre variés …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • hors-d'oeuvre — /fr. ˌɔrˈdœvʀ/ [vc. fr., letteralmente «fuori (hors) d opera (d oeuvre)», col significato di «parte accessoria»] loc. sost. m. inv. antipasto, stuzzichino, appetizer (ingl.) …   Sinonimi e Contrari. Terza edizione

  • Hors d'oeuvre — Hors d [oe]uvre ; pl. {Hors d [oe]uveres}. [F., lit., outside of work.] 1. Something unusual or extraordinary. [R.] [Webster 1913 Suppl.] 2. A dish served as a relish, usually at the beginning of a meal. [Webster 1913 Suppl.] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • hors d'oeuvre — ► NOUN (pl. same or hors d oeuvres) ▪ a savoury appetizer. ORIGIN French, outside the work …   English terms dictionary

  • Hors d'oeuvre — (fr., spr. Hohr döwr), 1) Nebensache, Nebenwerk; 2) Nebenspeise; 3) tadelnswerthe Abschweifung vom Hauptgegenstande …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Hors d'oeuvre — (franz. hor döwr), Nebensache; Abschweifung in der Rede …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

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