ranch dressing

[ranch dres-ing]

noun

1. a creamy salad dressing made with mayonnaise, buttermilk, and seasonings that typically include garlic, chives, and parsley.

Word History and Origins

Origin of ranch dressing¹

First recorded in 1960–65; developed and named by the owners of the Hidden Valley Ranch, a dude ranch in Santa Barbara County, California

Example Sentences

Meanwhile, a flummoxed Jeff gets demoted to Arj’s level, where one’s viability can be endangered by getting a one-star review from a customer who is angry that the restaurant didn’t put extra ranch dressing in the bag.

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For creamy, yolky dishes: fold it into cheesy potatoes, swipe it into horseradish aioli alongside fries, or whisk it into a horseradish–ranch dressing for a steak salad.

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It certainly won’t compete on healthiness: The Guiltless Grill occupies just the teensiest corner of the menu—all those low-calorie options get about as much space as a single photo of a chicken tender, gooily dripping ranch dressing.

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“I paid for a wrap, lettuce and ranch dressing.”

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Ranch dressing is a sensory shortcut to pleasure: multiple alliums, acid, umami, herbs, suspended in a plush, mayo-forward cloud.

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