dish

American  

[dish] / dɪʃ /

noun

1. an open, relatively shallow container of pottery, glass, metal, wood, etc., used for various purposes, especially for holding or serving food.

2. any container used at table.

   dirty dishes.

3. the food served or contained in a dish.

   The meal consisted of several dishes.

4. a particular article, type, or preparation of food.

   Rice is an inexpensive dish.

5. the quantity held by a dish; dishful.

   a dish of applesauce.

6. anything like a dish in form or use.

7. concavity or the degree of concavity, as of a wheel.

8. Also called dish antenna.  a concave, dish-shaped reflector serving to focus electromagnetic energy as part of a transmitter or receiver of radio, television, or microwave signals.

9. Slang. an attractive person, especially a female.

   His wife is quite a dish.

10. Slang. an item of gossip.

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verb (used with object)

1. to put into or serve in a dish, as food.

   to dish food onto plates.

2. to fashion like a dish; make concave.

3. Slang. to gossip about.

   They talked all night, dishing their former friends.

4. Slang. to defeat; frustrate; cheat.

verb (used without object)

1. Slang. to talk together informally, especially, to gossip.

verb phrase

1. dish out

   1. to serve (food) from a serving dish, pot, etc.

   2. to deal out; distribute.

      She dished out our pay in silver dollars.

idioms

1. dish it out, to dispense abusive language, punishment, or praise, enthusiastic approval, etc..

   When it comes to flattery, he can really dish it out.

dish British  

/ dɪʃ /

noun

1. a container used for holding or serving food, esp an open shallow container of pottery, glass, etc

2. the food that is served or contained in a dish

3. a particular article or preparation of food

   a local fish dish

4. Also called: dishful.  the amount contained in a dish

5. something resembling a dish, esp in shape

6. a concavity or depression

7. short for dish aerial satellite dish aerial

8. informal an attractive person

9. informal something that one particularly enjoys or excels in

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verb

1. to put into a dish

2. to make hollow or concave

3. informal to ruin or spoil

   he dished his chances of getting the job

dish More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing dish

• dishwater
• do the dishes

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Other Word Forms

• dishlike adjective
• underdish noun

Etymology

Origin of dish

before 900; Middle English; Old English disc dish, plate, bowl (akin to German Tisch table) < Latin discus dish, discus

Example Sentences

With supermarkets selling food from the Middle East and South Asia and restaurants offering dishes like Mandi chicken, a beloved Yemeni dish, many Australian immigrants feel at home here.

From BBC

“The Count of Monte Cristo,” à la PBS “Masterpiece,” simply adds a hot hero to a dish best served cold.

From The Wall Street Journal

There is no reason to christen your freshly cleaned kitchen with a sink full of dishes.

From Salon

I have a big pile of old cookbooks that inspired a lot of the specific dishes in the book, but the best resource was the New York magazine archives, particularly Gael Greene’s old columns.

From Los Angeles Times

I was washing the lunch dishes in the kitchen, but I ran through the dining room and down the steps before the rest of the family could stir.

From Literature

Related Words

• bowl
• container
• cup
• plate
• platter
• pot
• tray