Dentrées

Dentrées is not a widely recognized term in standard culinary, linguistic, or cultural references. When it appears, it is usually a misspelling or stylistic variant of entrées, the plural of entrée in French, or of entrée in English. Its meaning is best inferred from context or corrected to the conventional forms.

In French cuisine, the word entrée historically referred to a course that begins a meal. Traditionally, the dish served before the main course was called the entrée, and the plural entrées would denote multiple starter dishes. In modern usage, however, France and several other countries have shifted the sense, so that entrée commonly means the first course in many restaurants, while the main course is often called the plat principal. In English-speaking contexts, entrée is frequently used to denote the main course, particularly in North America, though some menus still follow the French sense of a starter. The plural entrées is used when multiple starter dishes are implied.

If capitalized or used as a brand name, Dentrées may function as a proper noun rather than a linguistic term. In such cases, its meaning derives from the entity that adopts the name, not from culinary or grammatical conventions.

Etymology: The French entrée derives from entrer, “to enter,” reflecting the notion of an opening course that leads into the meal. The English usage of entrée as a main course represents a regional shift from the original French practice.