lettuce

noun

let·​tuce ˈle-təs 

: any of a genus (Lactuca) of composite plants

especially : a common garden vegetable (L. sativa) whose succulent leaves are used especially in salads

Examples of lettuce in a Sentence

I like a little lettuce and tomato on my sandwiches.

Recent Examples on the Web

The beloved items combine chicken, shredded lettuce and shredded cheese covered in either ranch or spicy pepper sauce, wrapped inside a warm tortilla. —Sabrina Weiss, People.com, 14 July 2025

Both versions are made with all-white meat, shredded lettuce, and shredded cheese in a tortilla. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 11 July 2025

Key Facts The Snack Wrap, which features a chicken tender, lettuce, cheese and ranch dressing in a small flour tortilla, returned to McDonald’s franchises nationwide Thursday, nearly a decade after leaving the nationwide menu in 2016. —Derek Saul, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025

Dinner parties throughout the season begin with simple salads of charmingly unusual cucumbers and variegated lettuces that look hand-painted by a Dutch master. —Wilder Davies, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English letuse, from Anglo-French letuse, probably from plural of letue lettuce plant, from Latin lactuca, from lact-, lac milk; from its milky juice — more at galaxy

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing lettuce

• Bibb lettuce
• Boston lettuce
• butter lettuce
• cos lettuce
• devil's lettuce
• iceberg lettuce
• lamb's lettuce
• miner's lettuce
• sea lettuce

Rhymes for lettuce

• metis

Kids Definition

lettuce

noun

let·​tuce ˈlet-əs 

: a common garden vegetable related to the daisies that has crisp juicy leaves used especially in salads