Tartares

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of dish often featuring raw meat or fish seasoned with spices and served with various accompaniments
2. A culinary preparation that includes finely chopped raw ingredients, typically dressing them with sauce or seasoning
3. A reference to traditional dishes that are served uncooked and are often associated with specific regional cuisines

Etymology: "Tartares" is the plural of "tartare", a noun for a dish of raw meat or fish seasoned with spices and served with accompaniments. The singular comes from French, where "tartare" is simply the word for "Tartar," the people of Central Asia. The name of a people became the name of a dish through a link the source does not spell out, and the word's history stops at that French origin. Because the plural simply pairs with the singular, the useful fact is the one the singular already carries. A menu listing several "tartares" is using the French habit of naming a dish by its origin, much like the word itself, which tells you where the idea came from rather than what it contains.