From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishappetizerap‧pe‧tiz‧er (also appetiser British English) /ˈæpətaɪzə $ -ər/ noun [countable] DFa small dish that you eat at the beginning of a meal
Examples from the Corpus
appetizer• New Zealanders enjoy an entree, not an appetizer, as the first course of a meal.• One reporter might work on an appetizer, another on a main course, and a third on a dessert.• Out of curiosity, I ordered an appetizer off the typed list on the counter.• The best deal was an appetizer of a garlicky baked artichoke dip served in a toasted bread boule.• Grote started with an appetizer of buttermilk pancakes.• Both appetizers were delicious and accomplished just what they were designed for, adequately whetting our appetites.• In general, the appetizers are better than the entrees.• Are all of the appetizers fried? 