aperitif

noun

aper·​i·​tif ə-ˌper-ə-ˈtēf 

a-;

ˌä-pər-(ə-)ˈtēf

: an alcoholic drink taken before a meal as an appetizer

Examples of aperitif in a Sentence

They served us champagne as an aperitif.

Recent Examples on the Web

What to order: Jardin Rouge — Ketel One, Cap Corse Blanc aperitif, Campari tomato, pink peppercorn, white balsamic, French parsley and onion brine. —Tasha Tsiaperas, Axios, 25 Oct. 2024

Their signature smooth and strong variation on the famous James Bond cocktail shakes Jin Jiji India dry gin with Ketel One vodka and Cocchi Americano aperitif wine, garnished with a precise lemon twist. —Louisa Kung Liu Chu, Chicago Tribune, 7 Oct. 2024

Guests retired for aperitifs at the Hotel Meurice apartment of Dorothy Thompson, the Herald Tribune columnist and NBC radio correspondent. —Sam Roberts, Foreign Affairs, 2 June 2015

Think of each delivery as a box of aperitifs, party-ready bottles, and weeknight dinner solutions. —Sunset Magazine, 12 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French apéritif, from apéritif, adjective, "aperient, stimulating appetite," going back to Old French aperitif "aperient," borrowed from Medieval Latin aperitīvus, variant of Late Latin apertīvus, from Latin apertus, past participle of aperīre "to open" + -īvus -ive — more at aperient

First Known Use

1894, in the meaning defined above