"Hors d'œuvre (or alternatively appetizer or starter)
refer to the food served before or outside of (French: hors) the main
dishes of a meal (the œuvre). The purpose of the hors d'œuvre is to
whet the appetite; if there is a long waiting period between when the
guests arrive and when the meal is served (for example, during a
cocktail hour), these might also serve the purpose of sustaining guests
during the long wait."