menu

American  

[men-yoo] / ˈmɛn ju /

noun

menus plural

1. 1. a list of the dishes that can be ordered in a restaurant or that will be served at a formal meal; bill of fare.

      Ask the waiter for a menu.

   2. the dishes themselves.

      First on the menu was a delicious broccoli soup.

2. any list or set of items, activities, etc., from which to choose.

   What's on the menu this weekend—golf, tennis, swimming?

3. Digital Technology. a list of options available to a user, as displayed on a screen or listed in a recorded telephone greeting.

   From the main menu at the top of the window, select Tools and then Internet Options.

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verb (used with object)

1. to make available for ordering at a restaurant.

   There will be one entrée and one salad menued each day.

   Some casual restaurants have begun menuing alcoholic beverages.

menu British  

/ ˈmɛnjuː /

noun

1. a list of dishes served at a meal or that can be ordered in a restaurant

2. a list of options displayed on a visual display unit from which the operator selects an action to be carried out by positioning the cursor or by depressing the appropriate key

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• menuing
  noun
• menued
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• menus
  plural

Etymology

Origin of menu

First recorded in 1650–60; from French: “detailed list,” noun use of menu “small, detailed,” from Latin minūtus minute ²

Explanation

A menu is a list of the food that's available to order. If your vegan friend doesn't see anything on the restaurant's menu he can eat, you may have to ask the chef to make him something special. A menu is a list of what's available, whether you're talking about a menu at your neighborhood cafe or the menu, or agenda, of things to do at the state fair. When you talk about a menu on your computer, you're also talking about a list — in this case, a list of options or commands on the computer screen. Menu comes from the French phrase menu de repas, "list of what's served at a meal."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

menu menus

A seat at the table or on the menu?

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

Taco Bell is offering deep discounts and new menu items to recover from a sales slump caused by a parasitic outbreak linked to its lettuce.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

Blake was a familiar presence at the restaurant, whose menu featured a $12.95 fusilli dish named after him.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026

Choose your own culinary adventure: The most advanced ordering system in the food industry is the multiple-choice menu that lets you assemble a masterpiece from every filling, topping, and garnish in existence.

From Slate ● Jul. 30, 2026

I also really like Wendy’s ’cause they put bacon on the burger on the dollar menu, and sometimes Mom lets me get a Frosty if she has a coupon.

From "Free Lunch" by Rex Ogle

Many restaurants display Turkish-language menus outside their entrances.

From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026

The chain earlier this month pulled some fresh ingredients from regional menus in what it called a proactive move—which raised alarm bells among some consumers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

These are inspired by the butter-soaked spiced Saltines that have long floated around Southern church cookbooks, family recipe boxes and bar snack menus.

From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2026

As well as cropping up on bar menus, people are popping red wine in the fridge at home.

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026

He just gave us our menus and sat us at our regular table.

From "P.S. I Miss You" by Jen Petro-Roy

Related Words

• card
• cuisine
• food
• table