salad

noun sal·ad \ ˈsa-ləd \

|Updated on: 9 Jul 2018

Definition of salad

1 : any of various usually cold dishes: such as

a : raw greens (such as lettuce) often combined with other vegetables and toppings and served especially with dressing

b : small pieces of food (such as pasta, meat, fruit, or vegetables) usually mixed with a dressing (such as mayonnaise) or set in gelatin

2 : a green vegetable or herb grown for salad; especially : lettuce

3 : a usually incongruous mixture : hodgepodge

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See salad defined for kids

Examples of salad in a Sentence

For dinner we had roast chicken and a salad.
a salad of fresh greens
I tossed the salad with some oil and vinegar and set it on the table.
Would you like soup or salad with your sandwich?

Recent Examples of salad from the Web

This crab and shrimp salad is lightly dressed with mayo and dill.

— lindsey mcclave, The Courier-Journal, "Oskar's fills a food void in Louisville we didn't know we had | Review," 4 July 2018
Both of today’s salads area a great match for the Chili-Lime Flat Iron.

— susan selasky, charlotteobserver, "Celebrate the Fourth with minimal fuss, maximum flavor," 3 July 2018
Menu items included house-made granola and yogurt for breakfast and curried cashew chicken salad sandwiches and Guajillo smoked chicken tacos for lunch.

— joyce smith, kansascity, "West Bottoms restaurant in converted gas station closes after more than seven years," 2 July 2018
All of the individuals were then sent into test kitchens outfitted with cameras and told to prepare turkey burgers and salads.

— jamie ducharme, Time, "You're Probably Not Washing Your Hands Right, Study Says," 30 June 2018
Honey is another possibility, one to consider if your dressing or salad ingredients are already very acidic.

— becky krystal, chicagotribune.com, "How to leave those bottled dressings behind and make your own vinaigrette," 29 June 2018
Midtown Eats offers a small but refined menu of inventive burgers, small plates and salads.

— natasha bourlin, SFChronicle.com, "Increasingly hip Midtown Reno has a glow that’s not from neon," 29 June 2018
Similarly, an outbreak linked to chicken salad in February was distributed by one company and probably came from contaminated chicken meat.

— tara smith, SELF, "Why Does It Seem Like Salmonella Is Popping Up in Every Food These Days?," 28 June 2018
Besides tacos, diners can also get appetizers, quesadillas, sides and healthy salads.

— james patrick kelly, idahostatesman, "Boise’s trendy new taquerias redefine the taco – and diners get to taste the difference," 27 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'salad.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of salad

Middle English salade, from Middle French, from Old Italian (northern dialects) salata, salada, from salar to salt, from sal salt, from Latin

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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SALAD Defined for English Language Learners

salad

noun

Definition of salad for English Language Learners

: a mixture of raw green vegetables (such as different types of lettuce) usually combined with other raw vegetables
: a mixture of small pieces of raw or cooked food (such as pasta, meat, fruit, eggs, or vegetables) combined usually with a dressing and served cold