'antepast' originates from Italian, specifically the word 'antipasto', where 'anti-' meant 'before' and 'pasto' meant 'meal'.

'antepast' was borrowed into English from Italian 'antipasto' (often appearing as 'antepast' or 'antepaste' in early English usage) and eventually stabilized as the English form 'antepast' with the plural 'antepasts'.

Initially it meant 'a course served before the meal'; over time this meaning has been retained and is now used to refer to small dishes or appetizers served before the main course.