menu

[ men-yoo ]

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.

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

/ 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

Other Words From

• men·ued adjective
• men·u·ing noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of menu¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of menu¹

C19: from French menu small, detailed (list), from Latin minūtus minute ²

Example Sentences

At the same time, there’s also a wave of restaurants nationwide slowly shifting away from tipping, opting instead to raise menu prices to support higher hourly employee wages.

From Salon

Players and reviewers also had complaints about the menu system used to select echoes during the game.

From BBC

“It can feel transactional, menus can feel overwhelming, product is inconsistent, the wait too long or the handoff too hectic,” he wrote.

From Salon

The biggest deciding factor for when I try a new restaurant is the menu.

From Los Angeles Times

Chipotle said the increase “was partially offset by the benefit of menu price increases in the prior year.”

From Salon

Related Words

• card
• cuisine
• food
• table