cate
cate — noun
1. a food that tastes very good and is often rare or carefully made, enjoyed as a s
a food that tastes very good and is often rare or carefully made, enjoyed as a special treat
At the festival, Chiara tried several cates — candied fruits, honey cakes, and spiced nuts.
countable noun: several cates / a dozen cates
The chef prepared a dozen cates for the banquet, including marinated figs and stuffed dates.
Sahil's grandmother sent him a box of homemade cates — ginger biscuits and candied peel.
Travelers in the old market could buy exotic cates like dried mangoes and sesame sweets.
Aylin arranged an assortment of delicate cates on a silver tray for her afternoon guests.
- delicacy
the modern, neutral term for a rare or expensive food; 'cate' is much rarer and more archaic
- dainty
also somewhat old-fashioned, but still used; suggests something small and pretty as well as tasty
- treat
less formal and broader in meaning — any enjoyable food, not necessarily rare or costly
- tidbit
refers to a small piece of food; more informal and less elegant than 'cate'
用法筆記
The word is now very rare in modern English and is mainly found in historical or literary writing. The plural form 'cates' was far more common than the singular in earlier centuries.