a la carte
adv.
(French) by ordering dishes on a menu that are listed and priced separately
A la Carte
À la carte
À la carte (ä′lə kärt) or a la carte (al′əkärt) is a
French expression meaning "from the menu", and it is used in
restaurant terminology in one of two ways: It may refer to a menu of items priced and ordered separately rather than selected from a list of preset multi-course meals at fixed prices (see
Table d'hôte).Or it may designate the option to order a main course item along with your choice of an accompanied side dish included with the dish, at no extra charge. The meaning has been extended beyond the scope of dining to encompass the general option of purchasing only select items instead of a merchant's entire list of offerings, particularly in articles about cable television.
(ABC News: "FCC puts 'a la carte' cable on the menu")
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a la carte
Noun
1. a menu having individual dishes listed with separate prices
(hypernym) menu, bill of fare, card, carte du jour, carte
Adjective
1. (of a restaurant meal) having unlimited choices with a separate price for each item
(antonym) table d'hote, prix fixe
Adverb
1. by ordering items listed individually on a menu; "we ate a la carte"
a la carte
a la carte, according to a menu that prices each dish separately
a la Carte
(French) Each menu item is priced separately: Foods prepared to order.