On Super Bowl Sunday, Americans will devour 1.45 billion chicken wings. But are they an appetizer or an entree?

The classic finger food has long been a restaurant staple, often featured on the appetizer side of menus. But over the years, it has increasingly morphed into a main dish. Think of the many wing-centric chains, such as Buffalo Wild Wings and Wingstop, that put the fowl favorite front and center.

That was the case when the popular chain Chili’s added wings to its menu last year in advance of football season — and the result was that customers spent less (or traded down) by making wings their meal instead of ordering them as a starter, according to recent comments from Kevin Hochman, CEO of Brinker International, the parent company of Chili’s. The chain has continued to offer wings, but no longer displays the item as prominently on its menu in an effort to reverse the trend.

The issue continues to bedevil many other restaurants, according to industry analysts and professionals. The bottom line is no one quite knows what a plate of wings constitutes anymore — appetizer, entrée or something entirely of its own classification.

Ironically, if there’s one day on the calendar when such distinctions seem meaningless, it’s Super Bowl Sunday. That’s when an incredible number of wings are devoured — 1.45 billion wings are expected to be eaten, according to a pre-game estimate from the National Chicken Council — and there’s not much thought given as to where the item sits on the dining spectrum. It’s just, well, game-day food.

There are those who insist wings are entrée-worthy and can’t take a back seat to any other food when it comes to mealtime. “They’re the raison d’être,” said Arthur Bovino, a food writer and podcaster who knows wings like few others. “Wings are a perfect food.”