salad

[ sal-uhd ]

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 ( def 22b ).
5. any mixture or assortment:

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

salad

/ 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

   fruit salad

   potato salad

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of salad¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of salad¹

C15: from Old French salade, from Old Provençal salada, from salar to season with salt, from Latin sal salt

Example Sentences

That means, however uncomfortable it may seem, shifting the public focus elsewhere — think of Martha Stewart famously focusing on her salad amid insider trading allegations.

From Salon

Biao said Americans can’t live without Chinese technology but China will be fine without American exports like Newman’s Own salad dressing.

From Los Angeles Times

For this salad, I cut the halloumi into planks, air fry it, then quarter it.

From Salon

The sit-down dinner consisted, brilliantly, of cheeseburgers, chicken nuggets with caviar, truffle fries and Caesar salad, before the ceremony kicked off with remarks from the Fashion Trust U.S. founder Tania Fares and the board.

From Los Angeles Times

A food writer friend and I now send recipes back and forth — nothing too serious, just the kind of thing you'd text if you could send a sandwich or a salad dressing via USPS.

From Salon

Related Words

• potato salad