entrée

or en·tree

[ ahn-trey ]

noun

1. a dish served as the main course of a meal.
2. Older Use. a dish served at dinner between the principal courses.
3. the privilege of entering; access.

   Synonyms: entry, admission

4. a means of obtaining entry:

   His friendship with an actor's son was his entrée into the theatrical world.

   Synonyms: entry, admission

5. the act of entering; entrance.

entrée

/ ˈɒntreɪ /

noun

1. a dish served before a main course
2. the main course of a meal
3. the power or right of entry

Word History and Origins

Origin of entrée¹

1775–85; < French, noun use of feminine past participle of entrer to enter; entry

Word History and Origins

Origin of entrée¹

C18: from French, from entrer to enter ; in cookery, so called because formerly the course was served after an intermediate course called the relevé (remove)

Example Sentences

Here are the chef’s tips and tricks for making the deliciously gooey and crispy entrée.

From The Daily Beast

I view this as a possible entrée into disease-modifying therapy.

From Time

The purchase gave the company entrée into the targeted email marketing business, which again would grow increasingly in importance in 2020 when communicating with customers became crucial during the pandemic.

From TechCrunch

“That gave us a huge entree into manufacturing in London,” says Hulanicki.

From The Daily Beast

There could be no more fitting companion for the Acadian chicken stew entree inscribed on a blackboard in the dining room.

From The Daily Beast

“He had an entree, and I feel that he was very much embraced by the people that he took pictures of,” Marin Hopper says.

From The Daily Beast

Instead of slaving over the sauce just before dinner, you can chat with your guests, or concentrate on the entree.

From The Daily Beast

Buckwild, the newest entree in the trailer-trash reality-TV set, rips a page from Jersey Shore.

From The Daily Beast

It was agreed that five Adelie penguins or ten Cape pigeons' eggs made a good tasty entree to the monotonous ration.

From Project Gutenberg

Fritters are served as an entree, a vegetable or a sweet, according to the ingredients used.

From Project Gutenberg

It is an aristocracy of real merit, entree to which is attained by achievement, not by mere inheritance.

From Project Gutenberg

"It's a wild-goose chase," he snapped, attacking his entree savagely.

From Project Gutenberg

Julia began laughing as he appeared at the door, which facilitated his entree.

From Project Gutenberg