noun
tapas
TAP-us/ˈtæpəs/
Small Spanish dishes served as snacks or appetizers.
The small dishes of tapas include olives and garlic shrimp.
Etymology
English recorded tapas in 1937 as snacks, matching its sense of small Spanish appetizer dishes.
In context
grab tapas, or check out the exterior of the Cigrada Familia.
More examples
- The restaurant serves several kinds of tapas.
- We order olives and potatoes as tapas.
Forms
tapas
Similar words
- appetizers
- Small dishes eaten before a meal, not specifically Spanish.
- small plates
- A broad restaurant category of small shareable dishes.