side dish
Americannoun
-
a serving of a portion of food in addition to the principal food, usually on a separate dish.
-
the small additional dish used for such food.
noun
Etymology
Origin of side dish
First recorded in 1715–25
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As a soothing side dish, I recommend her malawax, a slightly sweet cardamom-scented pancake that goes well with breakfast coffee.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
For weeks, salacious talk swirled in campaign circles, ricocheted through email chains and was served up, like a buzzy side dish, over gossipy lunches from Sacramento to San Diego.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026
Enjoy these tomatoes as an appetizer, a side dish, or a midday snack.
From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026
The five-time major champion goes back to his roots with Irish champ as a main course side dish to accompany either wagyu filet mignon or seared salmon.
From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026
Sutton’s is a cafeteria down the street from the department store, with trays that you slide down a steel counter to select just what you want for your entrée and side dish.
From "It All Comes Down to This" by Karen English
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
