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Someone asked me why Americans use the word entree to refer to the main course of a dinner, while in French and in British usage, entrée refers to a dish served before the main course. The unspoken criticism was that, when it comes to matters of language, Americans always get things wrong.
Words change their meanings over time. Even in French.
In 1555, when entrée was first used to refer to the first course of a French meal, the privileged classes staged sumptuous dinners. Entrée comes from a word meaning “entrance.” In the 16th century, the first dish at a fancy dinner wasn’t just plunked down on the table. It was brought in by a procession of liveried servants to the sound of trumpet fanfares. This first course was termed the entrée de table.” After the entree (or entrees) came the soup, and after the soup, the roast, and after the roast, the final course.
According to food historians, this order of service gradually changed.
By the 1650s, the French entrée was a hot meat dish served after the soup. The word continued to have this meaning until after 1921, when it came to have its present French meaning of “a light first course.”
The OED dates the earliest English use of the word entree with a culinary meaning at 1759:
1759 W. VERRAL Cookery 46 Roasted ham. For this entrée is generally provided a new Westphalia or Bayonne ham
By the 19th century, the “entree” referred to the third course of a meal:
1880 SIR H. THOMPSON Food & Feeding 84 A family dinner may..consist of soup, fish, entrée, roast and sweet.
Up until World War I, in France, Britain, and the United States, the word entree retained the meaning of “a substantial meat course served after the soup/fish and before the roast.”
Eating habits change. A huge meal with numerous meat dishes is no longer the norm.
In the United States, by the 1930s, the meaning of the word entree began to include fish and chicken dishes. It did, however, continue to mean a substantial prepared hot dish that was satisfying enough to be the main thing eaten before dessert. Today we can speak of vegetarian and vegan entrees.
In France, also in the 1930s, entrée took on the meaning of a light course of eggs or seafood served at the beginning of the meal.
According to the OED, the meaning of entree is
A ‘made dish’, served between the fish and the joint.
However, from what I’ve read in various sources, many British speakers equate entree with “starter”; what Americans would call the “appetizer.”
In the “ideal’ four-course meal for the Queen voted on for a BBC contest in 2006, the four courses are described as: Starter, Fish Course, Main Course, and Dessert.
Entree is a word that has changed its meaning through the centuries, in French as it has in British and American English.
Are the Americans really the only ones who have “got it wrong”?
You can find a really thorough history of the evolution of “entree,” complete with menus, here.
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14 Responses to “What is an “Entree”?”
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It all just goes to show that language is an evolving thing, with different areas of language evolving at different rates in different places, and in different directions.
“Wrong” becomes a question of which branch of the evolutionary language tree you are sitting on… and which branch you are looking at…
Jon,
Well put.
Why can’t we all just get along LOL
I minored in French in college and have always felt that our (American) use of the word “entree” to mean “main course” was off. Strictly speaking, I would imagine it should be the first thing to be brought to the table, whether accompanied by fanfare or not. “Appetizer” would also seem to be a misnomer, since first of all, once you eat the appetizer, you pretty much have killed your appetite (and are ready to take the rest of the meal home in a doggie bag), and second of all, speaking at least for myself, the appetizer portions at restaurants these days often are meals in themselves. For example, I often eat at Ruby Tuesday’s, where they have an “appetizer” of potstickers. There are 6 of them served with a dipping sauce. I will often order their salad bar plus this “appetizer,” and that is my entire meal. Which is the entree? Which is the appetizer? Who knows, who cares. I am lucky if I have room for dessert! (not that I need it).
This is quite interesting.
Loved your entrée article. No mention of hors d’oeuve, which is fine, but it brought to mind how a sophisticated friend of mine used to pronounce the word. He referred to the appetizer as ordures, which, of course, in French means “garbage!” (I never corrected his pronunciation.)
I agree with Jon about the view of what “wrong” is … I also think (despite being British!) that US vocab is often more accurate – as it’s often based on older usages that we’ve since stopped (e.g. using ‘gotten’ as the past tense of ‘get’ rather than using ‘got’)
Also agree that the starter/entree/appetizer’s often so big you don’t need the main/entree/whatever.
Maybe that’s why “amuse bouche” have started to become popular in the UK – they’re very wee & can’t possibly fill you up! (Or go with a liquid aperitif!)
very informative, thanks for share
Interesting history of the term. It also does a very good job of illustrating a problem withe English in general. Namely, the rather irritating habit of adopting foreign words for things for which there are perfectly good English words already. In particular, the affectation of adopting French words because of the Hastings-induced and seemingly incurrable notion that French sounds more “classy” than English does; especially to the bourgeoisie– I mean– middle class.
Call it a “main course” for crying out loud! Americans insist on calling rocket “arugala” (Italian, but the same applies), cemetaries can just be graveyards, cilantro is corriander leaves, a jalapeno is an Anaheim pepper, du jour means “of the day”– this needs translation?. A la mode means “with ice cream”– a uniquely American meaning that the phrase doesn’t even HAVE in French. Joie de vive is zest for life, je ne c’est quoi is something I can’t put into words- but I just did, in English, with no problem. An objet d’art is probably NOT anything artisic, but a pseudo-art object. In fact, there are not that many niches (rhyming with itches) that English is simply at a loss to fill without the intrusion of francais or other languages.
but what does it mean still???
Speaking for General American, it means “main course”. Period. There is no confusion about that. Every general American knows that. No one in Boston, NYC, Kansas City, LA or Seattle is going to look at a menu and say, ” I thought meat loaf was an appetizer”. Whatever it used to mean, or means in France, where they are speaking a different language, BTW, or what it means in the UK are either historical questions or for them to answer.
Very interesting. I’ve been baffled by the use of the word “entree” for years!
As a nation famous for it’s no nonsense attitude to most things in life, the way this word is used in the US is odd. Why don’t you just say “main course”? I thought it was the British that had a reputation for flowery language and complicated eating habits …
Agree 100% Robin. As many of my posts here show, I’m alway fighting against the unnecessary and often affected adoption of foreign words and phrases for things that have perfectly good English equivalents. Main course is perfect and means just what it says without any mystification. Likewise, love or joy for life, art object (often used facetiously), pen-name, entry hall/way, crescent roll, etc. OTOH, if there really is no English word for something, fine. I don’t know what else you’d call a bidet if you felt the need to address one, or sushi, or baklava. I’m not against innovation, just against overly-complicating or obfuscating communication.
I left the US for Australia in 1975. I don’t remember using the word entree for the main meal at that time. I do remember visiting my family in the 1990′s and after looking through items on the menu ordered (without a word of clarification from the waiter) what I thought was an entree and a main meal. What I got was two main meals!
What irritates me is that so many accuse Americans of not using entree properly. While many words evolve over time, there are standards and correct usages! The only time I have ever heard the word entree to be used other than for its proper meaning at mealtime, is in Australian cuisine. I’ve lived in America all my life and we ‘Americans’ use entree properly. As for the Australians, their life down under is quite different, so I say give them a break. No one would poke fun. Not sure why so many are pointing the finger at Americans.