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

Who Was There Miami’s wellness-minded cognoscenti and art world figures seeking respite from the week’s social marathon lounged in Danish rattan daybeds and enjoyed the spa’s extensive treatment menu. —Jaime Sloane, SPIN, 16 Dec. 2024

Once relegated to the kid’s menu, chicken tenders are behind some of the most successful restaurant chains in the world. —Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2024

The menu includes pink moon oysters and mignonette, persimmon salad, squash blossoms, an aquavit digestif, quail and panna cotta for dessert. —Gege Reed, The Courier-Journal, 16 Dec. 2024

Airplane menus these days can offer a wide range of drink options. —Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Dec. 2024

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

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.