Etymology
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menu (n.)

1837, "detailed list of dishes to be served at a banquet or meal," from French menu de repas "list of what is served at a meal," from French menu (adj.) "small, detailed" (11c.), from Latin minutus "small," literally "made smaller," past participle of minuere "to diminish," from root of minus "to diminish" (from PIE root *mei- (2) "small"). Computer sense of "list of options displayed on a screen" is by 1967, from the expanded sense of "any detailed list," which is attested by 1889.

Entries linking to menu

*mei- (2)

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "small."

It forms all or part of: administer; administration; comminute; diminish; meiosis; Menshevik; menu; metier; mince; minestrone; minim; minimum; minister; ministration; ministry; minor; minuend; minuet; minus; minuscule; minute; minutia; Miocene; mis- (2); mite (n.2) "little bit;" mystery (n.2) "handicraft, trade, art;" nimiety.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit miyate "diminishes, declines;" Greek meion "less, smaller;" Latin minus, minor "smaller," minuere "to diminish, reduce, lessen;" Old English minsian "to diminish;" Russian men'she "less."

miniver (n.)

a type of fur once commonly used for lining and trimming in garments, mid-13c., from Old French menu vair "minor fur;" see menu + vair. The exact description of the thing and meaning of the term is now unclear; according to older French sources, it came from some kind of squirrel.

updated on December 26, 2018

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Definitions of menu from WordNet

menu (n.)
a list of dishes available at a restaurant;
the menu was in French
Synonyms: bill of fare / card / carte du jour / carte
menu (n.)
the dishes making up a meal;
menu (n.)
(computer science) a list of options available to a computer user;
Synonyms: computer menu
menu (n.)
an agenda of things to do;
they worked rapidly down the menu of reports
Synonyms: fare
From wordnet.princeton.edu, not affiliated with etymonline.

Dictionary entries near menu

menthol

mentholated

mention

mentionable

mentor

menu

meow

Mephisto

Mephistopheles

mephitic

*mer-

© 2001-2022 Douglas Harper