It may be the first dish served, or it may follow a soup or other small dish or dishes. In the United States and parts of Canada, the term entrée refers to the main dish or the only dish of a meal.

What is the difference between an entrée and a main course?

Entrée is a French word that Americans use to say “main course.” However, France uses entrée to denote an appetizer, and calls the main course a “plat principal”… so what happened? It'd be easy just to blame this on Americans butchering another country's language, but that wouldn't be fair.

Why is the main course called an entrée?

Entrée comes from a word meaning “entrance.” In the 16th century, the first dish at a fancy dinner wasn't just plunked down on the table. It was brought in by a procession of liveried servants to the sound of trumpet fanfares. This first course was termed the entrée de table.