salad

noun

sal·​ad ˈsa-ləd How to pronounce salad (audio)
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

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 on the Web The menu of salads, sandwiches, vegetable plates and several entrees doesn’t read as radical or idiosyncratic. Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2024 Adrian Miller, author of Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine and Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue, has been trying to confirm reports that some St. Louis joints top their rib sandwiches with potato salad, which sounds delicious to me. Robert F. Moss, Southern Living, 15 Mar. 2024 For info: 313-894-6620 Louie's Ham and Corned Beef 3570 Riopelle, Detroit Serving breakfast, salads, and sandwiches, Louie's is located at Mack and Riopelle on the outskirts of Eastern Market. Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 15 Mar. 2024 Now’s the time to use spring herbs with abandon, adding them by the handful to salads, eggs, and pasta. Jenna Anderson, Sunset Magazine, 14 Mar. 2024 There are also appetizers, entrée salads, veggie sides and desserts. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Mar. 2024 The menu includes a range of items to choose from, including burgers, sandwiches, salads, breakfast foods and more. Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 8 Mar. 2024 Menu options include burgers, chicken sandwiches, Baja fish tacos, barbecue pork ribs and several salads. The Arizona Republic, 4 Mar. 2024 But Krishna had a bone to pick with one ingredient in the wedge salad. Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'salad.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English salat, salade, borrowed from Middle French salade "dish of seasoned greens and herbs," borrowed from a medieval Upper Italian predecessor of modern dialectal (Piedmont) salada, salatta (Tuscan insalata) from salar "to add salt to, salt" (going back to Vulgar Latin *salāre, re-formation of Latin salīre, sallīre "to salt, preserve with salt," derivative of sal-, sāl "salt") + -ata, -ada -ade — more at salt entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of salad was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near salad

Cite this Entry

“Salad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/salad. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

salad

noun
sal·​ad ˈsal-əd How to pronounce salad (audio)
1
: green vegetables (as lettuce) often with tomato, cucumber, or radish served with dressing
2
: a cold dish (as of meat, shellfish, fruit, or vegetables) usually prepared with a dressing

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