n. 1. A list of the dishes to be served or available for a meal. 2. The dishes served or available at a meal. 3. A list of available options, especially as displayed on a screen. [French, small, minute, menu, from Old French menut, small, from Latin minūtus, past participle of minuere, to diminish; see mei-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] Word History: Menu can be traced back to the Latin word minūtus, meaning "small in size, amount, or degree" and also "possessing or involving minute knowledge." Latin minūtus became Old French menut and Modern French menu, "small, fine, trifling, minute." The French adjective came to be used as a noun with the senses "detail, details collectively," and "detailed list." As such, it was used in the phrase menu de repas, "list of items of a meal," which then was shortened to just menu. The French word was then borrowed into English in the 1800s. |
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