noun
tapa
A small Spanish dish served as a snack or as part of a meal.
The waiter brings a tapa of olives with our drinks.
Etymology
The Spanish word means cover. The snack-name is traditionally associated with food placed over a drink, though details of that origin story vary.
More examples
- We order three tapas instead of one large main course.
- This tapa pairs roasted peppers with a slice of bread.
- She serves warm potato omelet as a tapa.
Forms
tapa · tapas
Similar words
- appetizer
- Usually precedes a meal; need not be Spanish.
- snack
- Any light food between meals, not specifically a Spanish dish.