dessert

noun

des·sert di-ˈzərt

Synonyms of dessert next

: a usually sweet course or dish (as of pastry or ice cream) usually served at the end of a meal

British : a fresh fruit served after a sweet course

Did you know?

Where does the phrase just deserts come from?

Why do we say that someone has gotten their just deserts? Does this turn of phrase have anything to do with dessert (“a sweet food eaten at the end of a meal”) or desert (“a dry land with few plants and little rainfall”)? In fact, the phrase employs neither of these words. Instead, it uses a completely unrelated word that happens to be pronounced like the word for sweets and spelled like the one for a dry place: desert, meaning “reward or punishment deserved or earned by one’s qualities or acts.” This little-used noun is, as you might have guessed, related to the English verb deserve. It has nothing to do with arid, dry land, or with cookies and ice cream.

Examples of dessert in a Sentence

She doesn't care for rich desserts. Coffee and tea will be served with dessert. We had ice cream and apple pie for dessert.

Recent Examples on the Web Many are for savory meals, with a few desserts and cocktails in the mix. —

Kelly Allen, House Beautiful, 8 Sep. 2023 But Miss Manners recognizes that flambe-ing the dessert can be done without the cook also cleaning his hands on your napkin before tossing it back onto your lap. —

Miss Manners | Judith Martin, Anchorage Daily News, 7 Sep. 2023 One other aspect popular with fans of the former Robuchon eatery has also been brought back: the legendary bread and dessert trolleys. —

Lane Nieset, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Sep. 2023 German Chocolate Sandwich Cookies Imagine how delicious these cookies will look on your Thanksgiving dessert table? —

Christopher Michel, Country Living, 5 Sep. 2023 Last year, the brand showcased another surprising use of its liquor by opening a Moutai ice cream store, selling spiked desserts to consumers in the city of Zunyi in southwest China’s Guizhou province. —

Berry Wang, CNN, 4 Sep. 2023 The rest of the fruit got cut into wedges and placed in the freezer for desserts later on. —

Ben Mims, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2023 Bread and desserts from Lubellas Patisserie are also offered, as well as other breakfast options such as burritos. —

Imelda García, Dallas News, 1 Sep. 2023 Get an on-sale ice cream maker and have one last pool party with frozen desserts. —

Mackenzie Chung Fegan, Bon Appétit, 31 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dessert.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, going back to Middle French desserte "food cleared from the table (in the phrase desserte des més), course served at the end of the meal," derivative of desservir "to clear the table (of food, dishes)," from des- dis- + servir "to serve entry 1"

Note: Middle French desserte is apparently formed by analogy with desert from deservir—see note at desert entry 4.

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of dessert was in 1600

See more words from the same year