dessert
UK: dɪˈzɜːt | US: dɪˈzɜːrt
n. a sweet course eaten at the end of a meal
n. (archaic) a serving of fresh fruit or nuts after a meal
The word "dessert" originated in mid-16th century French as desservir, meaning "to clear the table" (literally "un-serve"). It referred to the practice of removing main dishes before serving sweets. Over time, the term shifted to denote the sweet course itself, reflecting its role as the final culinary act of a meal. The morphemes des- and -sert preserve the original logic of "undoing service" to make way for indulgence.
We had chocolate cake for dessert.
The restaurant offers a seasonal fruit dessert.
She skipped the main course to save room for dessert.
Traditional French meals often end with cheese before dessert.
The dessert menu features homemade ice creams.