dish

[ dish ]

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 an·ten·na [dish, an-ten-, uh]. 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.

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. Informal.
   1. to serve (food) from a serving dish, pot, etc.
   2. to deal out; distribute:

      She dished out our pay in silver dollars.

dish

/ 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 calleddishful the amount contained in a dish
5. something resembling a dish, esp in shape
6. a concavity or depression
7. See satellite dish aerial, dish aerial
   short for dish aerial satellite dish aerial
8. informal.
   an attractive person
9. informal.
   something that one particularly enjoys or excels in

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

Derived Forms

• ˈdishˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• un·der·dish noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of dish¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of dish¹

Old English disc, from Latin discus quoit, see disc

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

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

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

More idioms and phrases containing dish

• do the dishes
• dishwater

Example Sentences

KitchenMate delivers new Meal-Pods once or twice a week, and teams can influence what gets delivered by voting on the dishes that they want.

From TechCrunch

No more long nights or gross sponges, trying to avoid dirty dishes in your sink.

From Popular-Science

If we have a hankering for a dish of pasta loaded with shaved truffles, we know where to go.

From Fortune

Then there are others who can’t so much as wash the dishes or make a sales call without first devising an optimal plan of attack.

From Quartz

A mouse is not a person, and brain cells in a dish do not make a brain.

From Science News

Caen was pitching and I was crouched behind the dish, catching.

From The Daily Beast

Combine the beans and onion sauce in a 9x9-inch casserole dish and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

From The Daily Beast

DISH is the first and only provider to offer the Netflix app.

From The Daily Beast

DISH delivers a one-of-a-kind entertainment experience to every room of your home, wirelessly.

From The Daily Beast

Add to that the DISH Anywhere app, and you have instant access to the program guide and the ability to record shows on the go.

From The Daily Beast

A dish of toads of the largest and most repulsive variety used to be offered one by one to the big man's relatives and guests.

From Project Gutenberg

This gift of rice was especially pleasing to the traveller, as no dish is held in higher honour in Korea.

From Project Gutenberg

"Perry Thomas guessed he was an embezzler," said Tim, putting the last dish in the cupboard and sitting down to his pipe.

From Project Gutenberg

When our nosegay is ready, we lay the cone with the flowers very carefully in a dish of water.

From Project Gutenberg

Your electro-plated butter-dish, or whatever it's going to be, will be simply flung back at you.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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