side dish

American  

noun

1. a serving of a portion of food in addition to the principal food, usually on a separate dish.

2. the small additional dish used for such food.

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side dish British  

noun

1. a portion of food served in addition to the main dish

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Etymology

Origin of side dish

First recorded in 1715–25

Example Sentences

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

I’m talking about raita, a South Asian staple that’s part sauce, side dish, dip and marinade.

From Salon • Mar. 28, 2026

Indeed, as in other Lawrence projects — which typically feature divorced or separated characters — romance is a sort of side dish, less the issue than whether people are managing to treat one another well.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 8, 2026

Another side dish which saw a slight dip in price was stuffing mix - dropping 1.32% to 50p for 170g.

From BBC • Dec. 18, 2025

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