canape

/ˈkænəˌpeɪ/

Other forms: canapes

At a fancy party, that savory snack served on a small piece pastry is a canape. If you hate fish, you might want to avoid the smoked salmon canapes and instead try the little fritters with salsa on top.

While canape is almost always used to mean "bite-sized party food," it also means "couch." So you could actually sit on a canape and nibble on a canape! Legend has it that a French chef trying to come up with a new type of h'ors d'oeuvre looked at his sofa and had the brilliant idea to take a small piece of bread and put something tasty on it, like a person sitting on a settee. In French, canapé means "sofa."

Definitions of canape

1. noun

   an appetizer consisting usually of a thin slice of bread or toast spread with caviar or cheese or other savory food
   type of:

   appetiser, appetizer, starter

   food or drink to stimulate the appetite (usually served before a meal or as the first course)