Canap

/ˈkænəpeɪ/ noun

Definition

A small piece of bread or cracker topped with a spread or other appetizer; a bite-sized hors d'oeuvre.

Etymology

From French 'canapé,' from canape (sofa or couch), because the topping sits atop the bread base like cushions on furniture. Entered English via 19th-century culinary French.

Kelly Says

Canapé is named after a sofa—imagine describing food by furniture! French chefs literally called tiny appetizers 'little couches' because of how toppings rest on bread, and the metaphor stuck.

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