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
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
These are bright and zippy, a great contrast to any other sweets on the menu.
—
Ann Taylor Pittman, Southern Living, 8 June 2025
Yes, rock legend documentaries, gritty and goofy B-pictures and unfairly maligned high-concept comedies are on the menu this month for Netflix subscribers—guys, this is a good month.
—Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
Now, each winner will travel to one place on a menu of national landmarks, ranging from Mount Rushmore to the Angel Island Immigration Station in Marin County.
—Ethan Wolin, Sacbee.com, 7 June 2025
The dessert has been on the menu for decades but gained popularity when the restaurant offered a luxury version (complete with a 10-carat diamond engagement ring) for nearly $10 million.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for menu
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Ann Taylor Pittman, Southern Living, 8 June 2025
Yes, rock legend documentaries, gritty and goofy B-pictures and unfairly maligned high-concept comedies are on the menu this month for Netflix subscribers—guys, this is a good month.
—Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
Now, each winner will travel to one place on a menu of national landmarks, ranging from Mount Rushmore to the Angel Island Immigration Station in Marin County.
—Ethan Wolin, Sacbee.com, 7 June 2025
The dessert has been on the menu for decades but gained popularity when the restaurant offered a luxury version (complete with a 10-carat diamond engagement ring) for nearly $10 million.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for menu
Cite this Entry
“Menu.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/menu. Accessed 11 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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.
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