main course

American  

noun

1. Nautical. a square mainsail.

2. the principal dish or course of a meal, typically including meat or fish.

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main course British  

noun

1. the principal dish of a meal

2. nautical a square mainsail

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Etymology

Origin of main course

First recorded in 1505–15

Example Sentences

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

For the main course, I enjoyed a classic — butter chicken — alongside a poached lobster tail in a green coconut masala with Mexican chili and coriander-mint purée.

From Salon • Mar. 7, 2026

Jess McClain, who was comfortably leading the women's race, was taken off the main course, along with her closest challengers Ednah Kurgat and Emma Hurley.

From BBC • Mar. 4, 2026

Now, thanks to inflation and stubbornly high grocery bills, they’re more often getting promoted—sometimes to the main course.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 28, 2025

The main course was essence of brandied pig, and you need a lot of it to serve five hundred people.

From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman