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

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Etymology

Origin of menu

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

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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

They have an appetizer-style, Southern, saucy-inspired menu where they have things breaded and fried.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026

But even if I did, I know one dish that would earn its place on the menu: cabbage.

From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2026

Those choosing the new dishes were less likely to finish their meals than diners eating from the conventional menu.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

He quickly became a beloved addition to the school, credited with introducing delicious new menu items for students, Borges said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026

“Everything on the menu is in English and Chinese.”

From "Free Lunch" by Rex Ogle

The company plans to bring smoked brisket back to menus next month, and said other menu additions would be arriving next year.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026

The book includes a gallery of images of major chefs and food writers, period postcards and package labels, historic restaurant menus, and paraphernalia such as wooden cookie molds and handsome serving vessels.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

The £11m freehold gift of the restaurant building along with its historic collection such as visitor books, menus, photographs will now be protected for future generations, the National Trust said.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

Restaurants in the island’s six towns, from the Sweet Life Cafe in Oak Bluffs to the Fish House in Edgartown, tweaked menus, recipes and how they cook.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026

We sit down on opposite sides of a glass table piled high with papers, magazines and takeaway menus.

From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins

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Related Words

• card
• cuisine
• food
• table

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