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 deal is limited to five free menu items per transaction and is subject to availability. —Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 22 Apr. 2025

The menu includes the family’s signature pizzas and pasta, chicken and seafood entrees, stromboli, calzones, appetizers, soups and salads, and special lunch offerings. —Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 21 Apr. 2025

Juicy, whole lobster served grilled or blackened is best, though the menu at this famous haunt features every possible elaboration of the dish. —Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 20 Apr. 2025

In daily contact with local producers, the menu often changes based on the best of what is available nearby. —Joanne Shurvell, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025

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

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

Rhymes for menu

• venue
• submenu

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.