dessert

American  

[dih-zurt] / dɪˈzɜrt /

noun

1. cake, pie, fruit, pudding, ice cream, etc., served as the final course of a meal.

2. British. a serving of fresh fruit after the main course of a meal.

---

dessert British  

/ dɪˈzɜːt /

noun

1. the sweet, usually last course of a meal

2. (esp formerly) fruit, dates, nuts, etc, served at the end of a meal

---

Etymology

Origin of dessert

First recorded in 1780–90; from French, derivative of desservir “to remove what was served, clear the table,” from Old French, from des- dis- ¹ + servir “to serve” ( serve )

Explanation

Served as the last course of a meal, a dessert is often sweet, like cake or pie. If you have a sweet tooth, you may wish it were the only course of the meal. The word dessert originates from an interesting French word, desservir, which actually means "to clear the table." After the dinner dishes are removed, the host brings out the dessert. These days, desserts don't always have to be a sweet course, but can instead be a savory or a cheese course. Other offbeat treats include Vidalia onion ice cream and radish pie.

Example Sentences

The homeless are served entrée, plat, dessert, plus a cheese course and wine.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

Fewer people are eating dessert and drinking like they used to.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

Coup de Tête, a restaurant there, has prix fixe meals including a starter and a main course or a main course and a dessert that set you back a mere €19.50.

From Barron's • Mar. 8, 2026

Suddenly, it’s a nut dessert with a brownie supporting role.

From Salon • Mar. 5, 2026

When we’re done with dessert, it’s almost eleven p.m., and all we have left to do is load up the cars and say our farewells.

From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan

Related Words

• cake
• candy
• confection
• cookie
• fruit
• ice cream
• pastry
• pie
• sweet