mayonnaise

[ mey-uh-neyz, mey-uh-neyz ]

/ ˌmeɪ əˈneɪz, ˈmeɪ əˌneɪz /

Save This Word!

noun

a thick dressing of egg yolks, vinegar or lemon juice, oil, and seasonings, used for salads, sandwiches, vegetable dishes, etc.

COMPARE MEANINGS

Click for a side-by-side comparison of meanings. Use the word comparison feature to learn the differences between similar and commonly confused words.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of mayonnaise

1835–45; <French, equivalent to mayon (perhaps variant of Mahón, town in Minorca) + -aise-ese

Words nearby mayonnaise

Maying, Maynard, mayn't, mayo, Mayon, mayonnaise, mayor, mayoral, mayoralty, mayoress, mayor of the palace

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use mayonnaise in a sentence

NotCo also makes plant-based mayonnaise, ice cream and burgers using the same base technology.
NotMilk says it has achieved a breakthrough: Plant-based milk that mimics dairy|Emily Codik|June 16, 2021|Washington Post
The guys take the resulting paste and fold in housemade mayonnaise, along with lime juice and slices of fresh Thai chiles.
4 mashup dishes worth trying in the D.C. area, including pulled-pork pupusas and Chinese burritos|Tim Carman|April 12, 2021|Washington Post
I rubbed the mayonnaise on the water mark, left it over night and wiped off the area in the morning.
Hints From Heloise: New scam tied to coronavirus pandemic|Heloise Heloise|February 12, 2021|Washington Post
According to Subway’s nutritional information page on its website, the tuna salad for its sandwiches contains flaked tuna in brine, mayonnaise and an additive to “protect flavor.”
Subway’s tuna is not tuna, but a ‘mixture of various concoctions,’ a lawsuit alleges|Tim Carman|January 27, 2021|Washington Post

In a small bowl, combine the dill, mayonnaise, mustard, Creole seasoning and cayenne, if using, and stir to incorporate.
Calling all dill lovers: This old-school ham salad sandwich is for you|Ann Maloney|January 26, 2021|Washington Post
No mayonnaise, only butter, which had been absorbed, sponge-style, into the bun.
My Big, Buttery Lobster Roll Rumble: We Came, We Clawed, We Conquered|Scott Bixby|June 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For her inaugural menu, she planned crayfish with mayonnaise, pigeon with peas, and an apple brioche flambéed in rum.
The Queen of the French Kitchen|Katie Baker|March 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Fell in her tuna-fish salad and was swallowed in a glob of mayonnaise.
Mel Brooks Is Always Funny and Often Wise in This 1975 Playboy Interview|Alex Belth|February 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was a basic hamburger, with fresh lettuce and tomato (a plus), slathered with a sloppy oversize dollop of mayonnaise.
Is That It? Burger King’s French Fry Burger Is Just Carb Overkill.|Daniel Gross|September 3, 2013|DAILY BEAST
If Doug was still on today, would Miss Mayonnaise be doing the same?
Patti Mayonnaise From ‘Doug’ Is on ‘Orange Is the New Black’|Kevin Fallon|July 29, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Marriage is like Mayonnaise sauce, either a great success or an absolute and entire failure.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
Serve chopped aspic in little mounds round the base alternately with mounds of mayonnaise salad or tomatoes.
Dressed Game and Poultry la Mode|Harriet A. de Salis
He gulped, and emotion made him even pinker than he had been under the mayonnaise.
Ramsey Milholland|Booth Tarkington
In summer I have the main dish for either luncheon or supper of salad, and you can serve mayonnaise or French dressing on them.
Living on a Little|Caroline French Benton
Was she to sit and eat plain bread and cheese when she felt like lobster mayonnaise and could get it?
Dry Fish and Wet|Anthon Bernhard Elias Nilsen

British Dictionary definitions for mayonnaise

mayonnaise

/ (ˌmeɪəˈneɪz) /

noun

a thick creamy sauce made from egg yolks, oil, and vinegar or lemon juice, eaten with salads, eggs, etc

Word Origin for mayonnaise

C19: from French, perhaps from Mahonnais of Mahón, a port in Minorca

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012