What does menu mean?
A menu is a list of available choices, most commonly the dishes and drinks offered by a restaurant. In everyday use, “menu” can also mean a list of commands on a computer, a set of services provided by a company, or the range of options in a programme or plan. The word is especially associated with ordering food, but its broader meaning is useful whenever someone needs to describe a selection of available alternatives. It can sound slightly formal when used for a broad range of choices, whereas in restaurant contexts it is neutral and familiar. A restaurant menu, a main menu, and a set menu all illustrate different traditional uses of the word.
A list of food and drink available at a restaurant or other eating establishment; more generally, a list of available options, commands, services, or choices.
"The waiter brought us a menu and took our order."
The food sense is dominant in everyday use. In computing and organizational contexts, the word refers broadly to a set of available options.
To provide a restaurant or other establishment with a list of dishes, or to offer a range of options.
"The café menus a selection of sandwiches and seasonal soups."
This verb is less common than the noun and is especially associated with restaurants or catering.
The standard plural of menu is menus.
"The hotel provides menus in several languages."
The word menu began as a diminutive meaning “small,” which is why its culinary sense eventually came to represent a small selection of dishes.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does menu come from?
The word entered English in the early 17th century from French menu, originally meaning “a list of dishes” and derived from a diminutive associated with the Latin word for “small.” The word ultimately relates to minute, which developed from Latin minutus, meaning “small” or “minor.” The culinary sense developed as menu came to designate a list or collection of dishes, while modern computing and organizational senses are later extensions of the idea of a list of available options.
How menu is actually used
In restaurants, menu generally refers to the list of available dishes; in computing, it refers to a list of commands or options. The broader sense is common in formal and business contexts.