salad

American  

[sal-uhd] / ˈsæl əd /

noun

1. a usually cold dish consisting of vegetables, as lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers, covered with a dressing and sometimes containing seafood, meat, or eggs.

2. any of various dishes consisting of foods, as meat, seafood, eggs, pasta, or fruit, prepared singly or combined, usually cut up, mixed with a dressing, and served cold.

   chicken salad; potato salad.

3. any herb or green vegetable, as lettuce, used for salads or eaten raw.

4. South Midland and Southern U.S. greens.

5. any mixture or assortment.

   The usual salad of writers, artists, and musicians attended the party.

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salad British  

/ ˈsæləd /

noun

1. a dish of raw vegetables, such as lettuce, tomatoes, etc, served as a separate course with cold meat, eggs, etc, or as part of a main course

2. any dish of cold vegetables or fruit

   potato salad

   fruit salad

3. any green vegetable used in such a dish, esp lettuce

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Etymology

Origin of salad

1350–1400; Middle English salad ( e ) < Middle French salade < Old Provençal salada < Vulgar Latin *salāta, feminine past participle of *salāre to salt, equivalent to sal-, stem of sāl salt ¹ + -āta -ate ¹

Explanation

A salad is a dish that's usually cold and often includes lettuce or other greens. However, some salads don't have any greens but instead have lots of mayo — like tuna salad or chicken salad. While your idea of a salad might be iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, croutons, and a creamy dressing, salads come in many different forms. You can make a pasta salad or a tuna salad or an egg salad. Other salads are based on big pieces of bread, or meat, or cheese — and still others are dessert salads made with gelatin or whipped cream and fruit. Salad comes from the Latin phrase herba salata, or "salted vegetables."

Example Sentences

The inaugural flights will feature a special Venezuelan menu including corn pancakes known as cachapas and a Venezuelan-style chicken salad with mayonnaise, according to the airline.

From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026

The meal began with a garden herb velouté paired with a hearts of palm salad, followed by an ravioli dish featuring herbs from the White House garden.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

And then, of course, there are the quieter in-between moments: chicken salad for lunch, tucked into bread or eaten standing at the counter; dumplings or quick soups that come together almost without thinking.

From Salon • Apr. 26, 2026

They make an incredible kale salad and I love the San Gennaro pizza.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026

The back of the van was filled with containers of coleslaw and potato salad.

From "Sleepover Sleuths: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #1" by Carolyn Keene

Related Words

• potato salad