petit four
noun
pe·tit four ˌpe-tē-ˈfȯr 
pə-ˌtē-,
-ˈfu̇r plural petits fours or petit fours ˌpe-tē-ˈfȯrz
pə-ˌtē-,
-ˈfu̇r(z)
: a small cake cut from pound or sponge cake and frosted
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Brittainy Newman/The New York Times Mochi meets dressy petits fours at the Mochidoki shop in SoHo opening on Thursday. 
Florence Fabricant, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2020 Swiftlet nests have been compared to caviar, petit fours, foie gras and even scones. 1843, 22 Nov. 2019 To wrap up the cozy evening, dainty petit fours were served for dessert—a touch of sweet in anticipation of today’s Halloween sugar rush. Vogue, 31 Oct. 2019 But for all their ideological similarities, Sanders and Warren are in many ways as different as ice cream and petit fours — one a reliable, simple classic; the other, a less familiar, refined taste. Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2019 One of her majesty’s diplomats imparted this nugget of patrician contempt to me in October 2018 at a black-tie fundraiser in Washington, sometime between the petits fours and Boris Johnson’s after-dinner routine. Dominic Green, WSJ, 10 July 2019 The brasseries in San Jose (Santana Row), Menlo Park and Larkspur will be celebrating Bastille Day with live music and entertainment and Bastille Day menu specials, including coq au vin, bouillabaisse and petits fours. Lisa Herendeen, The Mercury News, 2 July 2019 Just as the petit fours were being served, the designer—wearing his trademark leather jacket—popped in to say hello. Elise Taylor, Vogue, 14 May 2019 Dessert was strawberry sable with lemon verbena cream followed by a selection of assorted fresh fruits, then coffee and petit fours. Victoria Murphy, Town & Country, 3 June 2019 See More
Florence Fabricant, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2020 Swiftlet nests have been compared to caviar, petit fours, foie gras and even scones. 1843, 22 Nov. 2019 To wrap up the cozy evening, dainty petit fours were served for dessert—a touch of sweet in anticipation of today’s Halloween sugar rush. Vogue, 31 Oct. 2019 But for all their ideological similarities, Sanders and Warren are in many ways as different as ice cream and petit fours — one a reliable, simple classic; the other, a less familiar, refined taste. Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2019 One of her majesty’s diplomats imparted this nugget of patrician contempt to me in October 2018 at a black-tie fundraiser in Washington, sometime between the petits fours and Boris Johnson’s after-dinner routine. Dominic Green, WSJ, 10 July 2019 The brasseries in San Jose (Santana Row), Menlo Park and Larkspur will be celebrating Bastille Day with live music and entertainment and Bastille Day menu specials, including coq au vin, bouillabaisse and petits fours. Lisa Herendeen, The Mercury News, 2 July 2019 Just as the petit fours were being served, the designer—wearing his trademark leather jacket—popped in to say hello. Elise Taylor, Vogue, 14 May 2019 Dessert was strawberry sable with lemon verbena cream followed by a selection of assorted fresh fruits, then coffee and petit fours. Victoria Murphy, Town & Country, 3 June 2019 See More Word History
Etymology
French, literally, small oven
First Known Use
1875, in the meaning defined above