"ordered by separate items" (itemized on a bill); distinguished from a table d'hôte, indicating a meal served at a fixed, inclusive price; 1826, from French à la carte, literally "by the card" (see a la + card (n.1)).
we ate a la carte
-a
a-
a cappella
a deux
a la
a la carte
a la mode
a posteriori
a priori
A&P
A.A.
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