What does dish mean?
A dish is fundamentally a shallow, often round vessel used for preparing, serving, or eating food — think of a baking dish, a serving dish, or a pet's water dish. By natural extension, the word came to mean the food itself that is cooked or served, so a restaurant menu might list dozens of dishes, each one a distinct preparation. The verb 'to dish' means to serve food onto plates, and the phrase 'dish out' extends figuratively to handing out advice, criticism, or punishment. In everyday speech, 'doing the dishes' is the familiar chore of washing up after a meal. Informally, especially in older American slang, a 'dish' can mean an attractive person, while British 'dishy' carries the same flattering sense. The word ultimately descends from Latin discus, the same root behind 'disc', reflecting the shape of the object itself.
A shallow, typically round container used for serving, cooking, or eating food.
"Place the mixture in a greased baking dish."
Also extends to the food itself: 'a traditional Italian dish.'
To serve food onto plates or dishes, or to distribute something freely ('dish out').
"He dished out generous helpings of mashed potatoes."
'Dish out' is common figuratively: 'She can dish out criticism but can't take it.'
Standard regular plural; 'the dishes' idiomatically refers to dirty plates and utensils to be washed.
"After dinner, the whole family helped clear the table and wash the dishes."
'Dish' and 'desk' are cousins: both trace back to Latin discus, the round throwing disc of the ancient Greeks.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dish
The word 'dish' comes from Old English 'disc', borrowed from Late Latin 'discus', meaning a plate or bowl, which itself derives from Greek 'diskos', a round throwing disc. The same Latin root gives English both 'disc/disk' and 'desk' (via Medieval Latin 'desca'). The extended sense of 'food served on a dish' developed naturally in Middle English, and the figurative use in 'dish out' appeared later.
Related word forms
How dish is actually used
As an adjective-forming slang term, 'dishy' means attractive, chiefly British. The informal sense meaning 'an attractive person' is dated American slang. 'Do the dishes' is idiomatic for washing up; British English also uses 'do the washing-up'.
Easily confused with dish
A disk (or disc) is a flat circular object or storage medium, while a dish is a container for food — though 'satellite dish' borrows the concave shape.