lettuce

American  

[let-is] / ˈlɛt ɪs /

noun

1. a cultivated plant, Lactuca sativa, occurring in many varieties and having succulent leaves used for salads.

2. any species of Lactuca.

3. Slang. U.S. dollar bills; greenbacks.

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lettuce British  

/ ˈlɛtɪs /

noun

1. any of various plants of the genus Lactuca, esp L. sativa, which is cultivated in many varieties for its large edible leaves: family Asteraceae (composites)

2. the leaves of any of these varieties, which are eaten in salads

3. any of various plants that resemble true lettuce, such as lamb's lettuce and sea lettuce

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Etymology

Origin of lettuce

1250–1300; 1925–30 lettuce for def. 3; Middle English letuse, apparently < Old French laitues, plural of laitue < Latin lactūca a lettuce, perhaps derivative of lac, stem lact- milk, with termination as in erūca rocket ² (or by association with Greek galaktoûchos having milk)

Example Sentences

Walnuts, avocados, peaches, lettuce, beans, grapes, tomatoes, olives, berries, onions, and, from La Mirada to Malibu, fields of commercial flowers.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

New research from Johns Hopkins University suggests that certain crops -- tomatoes, carrots, and lettuce -- tend to store these chemicals mainly in their leaves.

From Science Daily • Mar. 15, 2026

Picture a burrito bowl layered in reds and greens: cabbage slaw, sweet corn, charred bell peppers, red onion, shredded lettuce, jalapeños.

From Salon • Feb. 18, 2026

Lyberth, who has a background in tourism, learned to grow lettuce without using soil from YouTube tutorials.

From Barron's • Feb. 17, 2026

The mothers asked each other where they could get carrots and broccoli, iceberg lettuce, apples, peaches, or pears.

From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago

Related Words

• bread
• cabbage