menu

American  

[men-yoo] / ˈmɛn yu /

noun

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

• menued adjective
• menuing noun

Etymology

Origin of menu

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

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

For burger-centric establishments, it’s difficult to add a menu item that’s altogether different in terms of the cooking and even the packaging materials, she said.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 29, 2026

The first was a Quarter Sheets menu classic: olive oil chiffon with fresh passionfruit and bay leaf-infused custard.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2026

The royals then attended a garden party at the British embassy, with cucumber sandwiches and scones on the menu.

From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026

We’ve added digital menu boards that view differently based on different times of day.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026

It was a hole-in-the-wall place in Davis Square whose menu had twenty different egg dishes and another twenty pancake varieties.

From "From the Desk of Zoe Washington" by Janae Marks

Related Words

• card
• cuisine
• food
• table