menu

noun

ˈmen-(ˌ)yü 

ˈmān-

plural menus

1

a

: a list of the dishes that may be ordered (as in a restaurant) or that are to be served (as at a banquet)

b(1)

: a comparable list or assortment of offerings

a menu of television programs

(2)

: a list shown on the display of a computer from which a user can select the operation the computer is to perform

2

: the dishes available for or served at a meal

also : the meal itself

Synonyms

• card

Examples of menu in a Sentence

I'd like to see your lunch menu, please.

What's good on the menu today?

There are two chicken dishes under eight dollars listed on the menu.

a menu of television programs

You can save your work by choosing “Save” from the “File” menu.

Recent Examples on the Web

The menu, which has Spanish and Japanese notes, is extensive, so opting for the tasting menu is a great way to taste an array of dishes and the restaurant’s biggest hits. —Rana Good, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023

The menus and ambiance are different for each, but the overall approach and the aforementioned signatures can be found in both. —Jake Emen, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Nov. 2023

In one of McDonald’s most viral moments of this year, the brand honored Grimace, a big purple mascot introduced in 1972, with a limited-time menu item. —Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 29 Nov. 2023

From special menus for dogs to food trucks and even tasting menus, some restaurateurs are pulling out all the stops for pets. —Emily Anthes, New York Times, 28 Nov. 2023

Create your own and print it off, or download a digital menu template from Etsy or other online retailer. 19 of 21 Santa Plants Go green this holiday season by dropping a plant (not included) into one of these mini metal Santa buckets. —Sarah Lemire, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Nov. 2023

The Holiday 100 dashes back to Billboard’s charts menu, ranking the top seasonal songs of all eras via the same formula used for the Billboard Hot 100, blending streaming, airplay and sales data. —Gary Trust, Billboard, 27 Nov. 2023

The food menu is heavy on Mexican American classics, while beverage options include a selection of South American wines as well as Mexican and local brews. —Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 27 Nov. 2023

As for the mixed drinks, each of the eight cocktails is served in a different handmade glass, with the menu displaying a paragraph about the glass artisan alongside each drink description. —Devorah Lev-Tov, Vogue, 20 Nov. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

French, from menu small, detailed, from Old French — more at minuet

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing menu

• set menu
• menu bar
• drop-down menu
• pull-down menu
• help menu
• sub-menu
• menu-driven
• tasting menu

• set menu
• menu bar
• drop-down menu
• pull-down menu
• help menu
• sub-menu
• menu-driven
• tasting menu

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Kids Definition

menu

noun

ˈmen-yü 

ˈmān-

1

: a list of dishes served at or available for a meal

also : a similar list of offerings

a menu of TV programs

2

: the dishes served at a meal

3

: a list of computer operations shown on the display screen for a user to select from

a menu of printing options

Etymology

from French menu "a list of food dishes," from menu (adjective) "small, detailed," from Latin minutus "small" — related to minute

Word Origin

Many restaurants boast of having large menus, but the origin of the word menu actually suggests the idea of smallness. The origins of menu can be traced to the Latin adjective minutus, meaning "small." Minutus is also the source of our word minute. From minutus came the French adjective menu, which has several meanings including "small" and "detailed." The use of menu as a noun meaning "a list of food" probably came from the "detailed" sense of the adjective, since a menu is most often a detailed list.