n.
Variant: also cav · i · are
Pronunciation: ' ka-v ē - ˌ är also ' kä-
Function: noun
Etymology: earlier cavery, caviarie, from obsolete Italian caviari, plural of caviaro, from Turkish havyar
Date: circa 1560
1 : processed salted roe of large fish (as sturgeon)
2 : something considered too delicate or lofty for mass appreciation ― usually used in the phrase caviar to the general
3 : something considered the best of its kind <the caviar of porcelain>