Abat-Faim

Abat-Faim refers to a culinary and antiquated French term; the French for, literally, a "hunger-reducer" or "hunger suppressant", such as a substantial joint of roast beef; "grosse pièce de viande or pièce de résistance" . Hence it comes to mean the piece de resistance- something to cut at and come again. It refers to the first dish served to guests to suppress, beat, reduce the grumblings of their stomach. Abat-Faim is, however, obsolete with the emergence of the French term hors-d'oeuvre or appetizer in English which is not meant to reduce, beat or suppress hunger as in Abat-Faim, but implies raising or increasing the appetite. Abat-Faim is pronounced "a-ba-fin".