dish

/dɪʃ/

/dɪʃ/

Other forms: dishes; dished; dishing

A dish is something on which you serve, cook, or eat food. You need an extra large dish to make a casserole big enough to feed your entire extended family.

You can use the noun dish to talk about the enamel, ceramic, metal, or plastic vessel your food is in, and you can also use it for the food itself. You might say, "This macaroni and cheese was my great aunt Mathilda's favorite dish." When you serve it, you can say that you "dish it out" — although figuratively, this also means "administer punishment."

Definitions of dish

1. noun

   a piece of dishware normally used as a container for holding or serving food
   “we gave them a set of dishes for a wedding present”

   types:

   bowl

   a dish that is round and open at the top for serving foods

   butter dish

   a small dish (often with a cover) for holding butter at the table

   casserole

   large deep dish in which food can be cooked and served

   coquille

   a dish in the form of a scallop shell

   boat, gravy boat, gravy holder, sauceboat

   a dish (often boat-shaped) for serving gravy or sauce

   Petri dish, petri dish

   a shallow dish used to culture bacteria

   ramekin, ramequin

   a small fireproof dish used for baking and serving individual portions

   serving dish

   a dish used for serving food

   sugar bowl

   a dish in which sugar is served

   watch glass

   laboratory glassware; a shallow glass dish used as an evaporating surface or to cover a beaker

   argyle, argyll

   a covered gravy holder of silver or other metal containing a detachable central vessel for hot water to keep the gravy warm

   cereal bowl

   a bowl for holding breakfast cereal

   cocotte

   a small casserole in which individual portions can be cooked and served

   finger bowl

   small bowl for rinsing the fingers at table

   mixing bowl

   bowl used with an electric mixer

   porringer

   a shallow metal bowl (usually with a handle)

   punch bowl

   a large bowl for serving beverages; usually with a ladle

   salad bowl

   a large bowl for mixing and serving a salad

   slop basin, slop bowl

   a bowl into which the dregs of teacups and coffee cups are emptied at the table

   soup bowl

   a bowl for serving soup

   tureen

   a large deep serving dish with a cover; for serving soups and stews

   type of:

   container

   any object that can be used to hold things (especially a large metal boxlike object of standardized dimensions that can be loaded from one form of transport to another)

   crockery, dishware

   tableware (eating and serving dishes) collectively
2. noun

   a particular item of prepared food
   “she prepared a special dish for dinner”

   types:

   piece de resistance

   the most important dish of a meal

   adobo

   a dish of marinated vegetables and meat or fish; served with rice

   entremets, side dish, side order

   a dish that is served with, but is subordinate to, a main course

   special

   a dish or meal given prominence in e.g. a restaurant

   casserole

   food cooked and served in a casserole

   soup

   liquid food especially of meat or fish or vegetable stock often containing pieces of solid food

   stew

   food prepared by stewing especially meat or fish with vegetables

   paella

   saffron-flavored dish made of rice with shellfish and chicken

   viand

   a choice or delicious dish

   mousse

   a light creamy dish made from fish or meat and set with gelatin

   pudding

   any of various soft thick unsweetened baked dishes

   custard

   sweetened mixture of milk and eggs baked or boiled or frozen

   turnover

   a dish made by folding a piece of pastry over a filling

   timbale

   individual serving of minced e.g. meat or fish in a rich creamy sauce baked in a small pastry mold or timbale shell

   fish finger, fish stick

   a long fillet of fish breaded and fried

   buffalo wing

   crisp spicy chicken wings

   barbecued wing

   chicken wings cooked in barbecue sauce

   BBQ, barbecue, barbeque

   meat that has been barbecued or grilled in a highly seasoned sauce

   biriani, biryani

   an Indian dish made with highly seasoned rice and meat or fish or vegetables

   escalope de veau Orloff

   lightly sauteed veal cutlets spread with a Soubise sauce and liver paste then sprinkled with grated Parmesan and baked briefly

   saute

   a dish of sauteed food

   cake, patty

   small flat mass of chopped food

   veal parmesan, veal parmigiana

   sauteed veal cutlet in a breadcrumb-and-cheese coating served with tomato sauce

   veal cordon bleu

   thin slices of veal stuffed with cheese and ham and then sauteed

   sandwich plate

   a serving consisting of a sandwich or sandwiches with garnishes

   snack food

   food for light meals or for eating between meals

   salad

   food mixtures either arranged on a plate or tossed and served with a moist dressing; usually consisting of or including greens

   curry

   (East Indian cookery) a pungent dish of vegetables or meats flavored with curry powder and usually eaten with rice

   apple sauce, applesauce

   puree of stewed apples usually sweetened and spiced

   boiled egg, coddled egg

   egg cooked briefly in the shell in gently boiling water

   dropped egg, poached egg

   egg cooked in gently boiling water

   scrambled eggs

   eggs beaten and cooked to a soft firm consistency while stirring

   deviled egg, stuffed egg

   halved hard-cooked egg with the yolk mashed with mayonnaise and seasonings and returned to the white

   baked egg, egg en cocotte, shirred egg

   egg cooked individually in cream or butter in a small ramekin

   omelet, omelette

   beaten eggs or an egg mixture cooked until just set; may be folded around e.g. ham or cheese or jelly

   souffle

   light fluffy dish of egg yolks and stiffly beaten egg whites mixed with e.g. cheese or fish or fruit

   fried egg

   eggs cooked by sauteing in oil or butter; sometimes turned and cooked on both sides

   coq au vin

   chicken and onions and mushrooms braised in red wine and seasonings

   chicken provencale

   chicken cooked in a sauce made with tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil

   chicken and rice

   rice and chicken cooked together with or without other ingredients and variously seasoned

   moo goo gai pan

   a Cantonese dish of chicken and sauteed vegetables

   bacon and eggs

   eggs (fried or scrambled) served with bacon

   barbecued spareribs, spareribs

   baked or roasted with a spicy sauce

   beef Bourguignonne, boeuf Bourguignonne

   beef and mushrooms and onions stewed in red wine and seasonings

   beef Wellington, filet de boeuf en croute

   rare-roasted beef tenderloin coated with mushroom paste in puff pastry

   bitok

   a Russian dish made with patties of ground meat (mixed with onions and bread and milk) and served with a sauce of sour cream

   New England boiled dinner, boiled dinner

   corned beef simmered with onions and cabbage and usually other vegetables

   Boston baked beans

   dried navy beans baked slowly with molasses and salt pork

   bubble and squeak

   leftover cabbage fried with cooked potatoes and sometimes meat

   pasta

   a dish that contains pasta as its main ingredient

   Belgian beef stew, carbonnade flamande

   beef stewed in beer seasoned with garlic and served with boiled potatoes

   chicken Marengo

   braised chicken with onions and mushrooms in a wine and tomato sauce

   chicken cordon bleu

   thin slices of chicken stuffed with cheese and ham and then sauteed

   Maryland chicken

   chicken fried than oven-baked and served with milk gravy

   chicken paprika, chicken paprikash

   chicken simmered in broth with onions and paprika then mixed with sour cream

   Tetrazzini

   a pasta dish with cream sauce and mushrooms

   chicken Kiev

   pounded chicken cutlets rolled around butter (that has been seasoned with herbs) and then covered with crumbs and fried

   chili

   a hearty stew made with spices, vegetables, and often beans (with or without meat)

   chop suey

   meat or fish stir-fried with vegetables; seasoned with ginger, garlic, and soy sauce; served with rice

   chow mein

   chop suey served with fried noodles

   coquille

   seafood served in a scallop shell

   coquilles Saint-Jacques

   scallops in white wine sauce served in scallop shells

   croquette

   minced cooked meats or vegetables formed into patties, breaded, and deep-fried

   cottage pie

   a dish of minced meat topped with mashed potatoes

   rissole

   minced cooked meat or fish coated in egg and breadcrumbs and fried in deep fat

   dolmas, stuffed grape leaves

   well-seasoned rice (with nuts or currants or minced lamb) simmered or braised in stock

   spring roll

   a thin fried snack filled with vegetables, meat, or seafood, originating in Asia

   eggs Benedict

   toasted English muffin topped with ham and a poached egg (or an oyster) and hollandaise sauce

   enchilada

   tortilla with meat filling baked in tomato sauce seasoned with chili

   falafel, felafel

   small croquette of mashed chick peas or fava beans seasoned with sesame seeds

   fish and chips

   fried fish and french-fried potatoes

   fondu, fondue

   hot cheese or chocolate melted to the consistency of a sauce into which bread or fruits are dipped

   fondu, fondue

   cubes of meat or seafood cooked in hot oil and then dipped in any of various sauces

   French toast

   bread slice dipped in egg and milk and fried; topped with sugar or fruit or syrup

   Chinese fried rice, fried rice

   boiled rice mixed with scallions and minced pork or shrimp and quickly scrambled with eggs

   frittata

   Italian omelet with diced vegetables and meats; cooked until bottom is set then inverted into another pan to cook the top

   frog legs

   hind legs of frogs used as food; resemble chicken and cooked as chicken

   galantine

   boned poultry stuffed then cooked and covered with aspic; served cold

   fish ball, gefilte fish

   well-seasoned balls of ground fish and eggs and crushed crumbs simmered in fish stock

   haggis

   made of sheep's or calf's viscera minced with oatmeal and suet and onions and boiled in the animal's stomach

   ham and eggs

   eggs (scrambled or fried) served with ham

   hash

   chopped meat mixed with potatoes and browned

   jambalaya

   spicy Creole dish of rice and ham, sausage, chicken, or shellfish with tomatoes, peppers, onions, and celery

   kabob, kebab, shish kebab

   cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables

   kedgeree

   a dish of rice and hard-boiled eggs and cooked flaked fish

   seafood Newburg

   seafood in Newburg sauce served on toast or rice

   lobster thermidor

   diced lobster mixed with Mornay sauce placed back in the shell and sprinkled with grated cheese and browned

   lutefisk, lutfisk

   dried cod soaked in a lye solution before boiling to give it a gelatinous consistency

   macedoine

   mixed diced fruits or vegetables; hot or cold

   meatball

   ground meat formed into a ball and fried or simmered in broth

   meat loaf, meatloaf

   a baked loaf of ground meat

   moussaka

   casserole of eggplant and ground lamb with onion and tomatoes bound with white sauce and beaten eggs

   osso buco

   sliced veal knuckle or shin bone cooked with olive oil and wine and tomatoes and served with rice or vegetables

   pheasant under glass

   a dish of roast pheasant served in a manner characteristic of expensive restaurants

   pilaf, pilaff, pilau, pilaw

   rice cooked in well-seasoned broth with onions or celery and usually poultry or game or shellfish and sometimes tomatoes

   pizza, pizza pie

   Italian open pie made of thin bread dough spread with a spiced mixture of e.g. tomato sauce and cheese

   poi

   Hawaiian dish of taro root pounded to a paste and often allowed to ferment

   pork and beans

   dried beans cooked with pork and tomato sauce

   porridge

   soft food made by boiling oatmeal or other meal or legumes in water or milk until thick

   potpie

   deep-dish meat and vegetable pie or a meat stew with dumplings

   rijstafel, rijstaffel, rijsttaffel

   dish originating in Indonesia; a wide variety of foods and sauces are served with rice

   Italian rice, risotto

   rice cooked with broth and sprinkled with grated cheese

   roulade

   a dish consisting of a slice of meat that is rolled around a filling and cooked

   Salisbury steak

   ground beef patty usually with a sauce

   sauerbraten

   pot roast marinated several days in seasoned vinegar before cooking; usually served with potato dumplings

   sauerkraut

   shredded cabbage fermented in brine

   scallopine, scallopini

   sauteed cutlets (usually veal or poultry) that have been pounded thin and coated with flour

   scampi

   large shrimp sauteed in oil or butter and garlic

   Scotch egg

   hard-cooked egg encased in sausage meat then breaded and deep-fried

   Scotch woodcock

   creamy scrambled eggs on toast spread with anchovy paste

   scrapple

   scraps of meat (usually pork) boiled with cornmeal and shaped into loaves for slicing and frying

   spaghetti and meatballs

   spaghetti with meatballs in a tomato sauce

   Spanish rice

   spicy rice with tomatoes and onions and green peppers

   cannibal mound, steak tartare, tartar steak

   ground beef mixed with raw egg and e.g. onions and capers and anchovies; eaten raw

   pepper steak

   strips of steak sauteed with green peppers and onions

   pepper steak, peppered steak, steak au poivre

   steak covered with crushed peppercorns pan-broiled and served with brandy-and-butter sauce

   beef Stroganoff

   sauteed strips of beef and mushrooms in sour cream sauce served with noodles

   stuffed cabbage

   parboiled head of cabbage scooped out and filled with a hash of chopped e.g. beef or ham and baked; served with tomato or cheese sauce

   kishke, stuffed derma

   (Judaism) roasted fowl intestines with a seasoned filling of matzo meal and suet

   stuffed peppers

   parboiled green peppers stuffed usually with rice and meat and baked briefly

   hot stuffed tomato, stuffed tomato

   tomato cases filled with various mixtures and baked briefly

   cold stuffed tomato, stuffed tomato

   tomato cases filled with various salad mixtures and served cold

   succotash

   fresh corn and lima beans with butter or cream

   sukiyaki

   a hot pot dish with beef, vegetables, tofu, and broth cooked briefly at the table, originating in Japan

   sashimi

   very thinly sliced raw fish

   sushi

   rice (with raw fish) wrapped in seaweed

   Swiss steak

   steak braised in tomato and onion mixture

   tamale

   corn and cornmeal dough stuffed with a meat mixture then wrapped in corn husks and steamed

   tamale pie

   a meat mixture covered with cornbread topping that resembles a Mexican dish

   tempura

   vegetables and seafood dipped in batter and deep-fried

   teriyaki

   beef or chicken or seafood marinated in spicy soy sauce and grilled or broiled

   terrine

   a pate or fancy meatloaf baked in an earthenware casserole

   Welsh rabbit, Welsh rarebit, rarebit

   cheese melted with ale or beer served over toast

   Wiener schnitzel, schnitzel

   deep-fried breaded veal cutlets

   taco

   a tortilla rolled cupped around a filling

   burrito

   a flour tortilla folded around a filling

   tostada

   a flat tortilla with various fillings piled on it

   frijoles refritos, refried beans

   dried beans cooked and mashed and then fried in lard with various seasonings

   couscous

   a spicy dish that originated in northern Africa; consists of pasta steamed with a meat and vegetable stew

   ramekin, ramequin

   a cheese dish made with egg and bread crumbs that is baked and served in individual fireproof dishes

   mold, mould

   a dish or dessert that is formed in or on a mold

   dal

   an Indian stew made of simmered lentils or other legumes

   chicken casserole

   chicken cooked and served in a casserole

   soup du jour

   the soup that a restaurant is featuring on a given day

   alphabet soup

   soup that contains small noodles in the shape of letters of the alphabet

   consomme

   clear soup usually of beef or veal or chicken

   bisque

   a thick cream soup made from shellfish

   borsch, borscht, borsh, borshch, borsht, bortsch

   an Eastern European soup usually containing beet juice as a foundation, originating in Ukraine

   broth

   a thin soup of meat or fish or vegetable stock

   broth, stock

   liquid in which meat and vegetables are simmered; used as a basis for e.g. soups or sauces

   chicken soup

   soup made from chicken broth

   cock-a-leekie, cocky-leeky

   soup made from chicken boiled with leeks

   gazpacho

   a soup made with chopped tomatoes and onions and cucumbers and peppers and herbs; served cold

   gumbo

   a soup or stew thickened with okra pods

   julienne

   a clear soup garnished with thinly cut vegetables

   marmite

   soup cooked in a large pot

   mock turtle soup

   soup made from a calf's head or other meat in imitation of green turtle soup

   mulligatawny

   a soup of eastern India that is flavored with curry; prepared with a meat or chicken base

   oxtail soup

   a soup made from the skinned tail of an ox

   pea soup

   a thick soup made of dried peas (usually made into a puree)

   Philadelphia pepper pot, pepper pot

   a soup made with vegetables and tripe and seasoned with peppercorns; often contains dumplings

   minestrone, petite marmite, vegetable soup

   soup made with a variety of vegetables

   potage, pottage

   thick (often creamy) soup

   pottage

   a stew of vegetables and (sometimes) meat

   green turtle soup, turtle soup

   soup usually made of the flesh of green turtles

   eggdrop soup

   made by stirring beaten eggs into a simmering broth

   chowder

   a thick soup or stew usually containing seafood in a base of cream or tomatoes

   won ton, wonton, wonton soup

   a soup of savory dumplings filled with meat or vegetables and served in a clear broth, originating in China

   split-pea soup

   made of stock and split peas with onions carrots and celery

   green pea soup, potage St. Germain

   made of fresh green peas and stock with shredded lettuce onion and celery

   lentil soup

   made of stock and lentils with onions carrots and celery

   Scotch broth

   a thick soup made from beef or mutton with vegetables and pearl barley

   vichyssoise

   a creamy potato soup flavored with leeks and onions; usually served cold

   bigos

   a Polish stew of cabbage and meat

   Brunswick stew

   spicy southern specialty: chicken (or small game) with corn and tomatoes and lima beans and okra and onions and potatoes

   burgoo

   thick spicy stew of whatever meat and whatever vegetables are available; southern United States

   Spanish burgoo, olla podrida

   Spanish version of burgoo

   Irish burgoo, mulligan, mulligan stew

   Irish version of burgoo

   chicken purloo, poilu, purloo

   thick stew made of rice and chicken and small game; southern U.S.

   Hungarian goulash, goulash, gulyas

   a rich meat stew highly seasoned with paprika

   hotchpotch

   a stew (or thick soup) made with meat and vegetables

   hot pot, hotpot

   a stew of meat and potatoes cooked in a tightly covered pot

   Irish stew

   meat (especially mutton) stewed with potatoes and onions

   oyster stew

   oysters in cream

   lobster stew

   diced lobster meat in milk or cream

   lobscouse, lobscuse, scouse

   a stew of meat and vegetables and hardtack that is eaten by sailors

   fish stew

   a stew made with fish

   fricassee

   pieces of chicken or other meat stewed in gravy with e.g. carrots and onions and served with noodles or dumplings

   beef stew

   a stew made with beef

   ragout

   well-seasoned stew of meat and vegetables

   ratatouille

   a vegetable stew; usually made with tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, peppers, onion, and seasonings

   pot-au-feu

   traditional French stew of vegetables and beef

   slumgullion

   a thin stew of meat and vegetables

   fish mousse

   mousse made with fish

   chicken mousse

   mousse made with chicken

   carrot pudding

   pudding made with grated carrots

   corn pudding

   pudding made of corn and cream and egg

   creme caramel

   baked custard topped with caramel

   creme anglais

   custard sauce flavored with vanilla or a liqueur

   creme brulee

   custard sprinkled with sugar and broiled

   fruit custard

   a custard containing fruit

   Bavarian cream

   a rich custard set with gelatin

   apple turnover

   turnover with an apple filling

   knish

   (Yiddish) a baked or fried turnover filled with potato or meat or cheese; often eaten as a snack

   pierogi, pirogi, piroshki, pirozhki

   a small dumpling that is boiled, baked, or fried

   samosa

   small turnover of Indian origin filled with vegetables or meat and fried and served hot

   fish ball, fish cake

   a fried ball or patty of flaked fish and mashed potatoes

   sandwich

   two (or more) slices of bread with a filling between them

   spaghetti

   spaghetti served with a tomato sauce

   hasty pudding

   sweetened porridge made of tapioca or flour or oatmeal cooked quickly in milk or water

   gruel

   a thin porridge (usually oatmeal or cornmeal)

   potato peel, potato peelings, potato skin

   crisp fried potato peeling

   Saratoga chip, chip, crisp, potato chip

   a thin crisp slice of potato fried in deep fat

   corn chip

   thin piece of cornmeal dough fried

   mushy peas

   marrowfat peas that have been soaked overnight and then boiled; served with fish and chips

   tossed salad

   salad tossed with a dressing

   salmagundi

   cooked meats and eggs and vegetables usually arranged in rows around the plate and dressed with a salad dressing

   salad nicoise

   typically containing tomatoes and anchovies and garnished with black olives and capers

   potato salad

   any of various salads having chopped potatoes as the base

   pasta salad

   a salad having any of various pastas as the base

   fruit salad

   salad composed of fruits

   crab Louis

   lettuce and crabmeat dressed with sauce Louis

   herring salad

   based on pickled herring

   tuna fish salad, tuna salad

   salad composed primarily of chopped canned tuna fish

   chicken salad

   salad composed primarily of chopped chicken meat

   coleslaw, slaw

   a salad made with raw, shredded cabbage

   molded salad

   salad of meats or vegetables in gelatin

   tabbouleh, tabooli, tabouli

   a finely chopped salad with tomatoes and parsley and mint and scallions and bulgur wheat

   lamb curry

   curry made with lamb

   hard-boiled egg, hard-cooked egg

   an egg boiled gently until both the white and the yolk solidify

   firm omelet

   eggs beaten with milk or cream and cooked until set

   fluffy omelet

   souffle-like omelet made by beating and adding the whites separately

   raita

   an Indian side dish of yogurt and chopped cucumbers and spices

   arroz con pollo

   rice and chicken cooked together Spanish style; highly seasoned especially with saffron

   cannelloni

   tubular pasta filled with meat or cheese

   cheese souffle

   puffy dish of cheese and eggs (whites beaten separately) and white sauce

   chicken Tetrazzini

   chicken prepared in a cream sauce with mushrooms and served over pasta; usually topped with cheese

   egg foo yong, egg fu yung

   omelet containing onions and celery and chopped meat or fish

   cheese fondue

   fondue made of cheese melted in wine for dipping bread and sometimes fruits

   chocolate fondue

   fondue made of chocolate melted with milk or cream for dipping fruits

   beef fondue, boeuf fondu bourguignon

   cubes of beef cooked in hot oil and then dipped in various tasty sauces

   corned beef hash

   hash made with corned beef

   souvlaki, souvlakia

   a Greek dish of chunks of meat, often lamb, cooked on skewers

   lasagna, lasagne

   a baked dish of layered pasta with sauce and cheese and meat or vegetables

   lobster Newburg, lobster a la Newburg

   lobster in Newburg sauce served on buttered toast or rice

   shrimp Newburg

   shrimp in Newburg sauce usually served in a rice ring

   mac and cheese, macaroni and cheese

   macaroni prepared in a cheese sauce

   porcupine ball, porcupines

   meat patties rolled in rice and simmered in a tomato sauce

   Swedish meatball

   meatballs simmered in stock

   bulgur pilaf

   pilaf made with bulgur wheat instead of rice and usually without meat

   sausage pizza

   tomato and cheese pizza with sausage

   pepperoni pizza

   tomato and cheese pizza with pepperoni

   cheese pizza

   pizza with lots of cheese

   anchovy pizza

   tomato and cheese pizza with anchovies

   Sicilian pizza

   pizza made with a thick crust

   burgoo, oatmeal

   porridge made of rolled oats

   fish loaf

   flaked fish baked in a loaf with bread crumbs and various seasonings

   veal scallopini

   thin sauteed cutlets of veal

   chicken taco

   a taco with a chicken filling

   beef burrito

   a burrito with a beef filling

   quesadilla

   a tortilla that is filled with cheese and heated

   bean tostada

   a flat tortilla topped with refried beans

   type of:

   aliment, alimentation, nourishment, nutriment, nutrition, sustenance, victuals

   a source of materials to nourish the body
3. noun

   the quantity that a dish will hold
   “they served me a dish of rice”

   synonyms: dishful

   type of:

   containerful

   the quantity that a container will hold
4. noun

   directional antenna consisting of a parabolic reflector for microwave or radio frequency radiation
   synonyms: dish aerial, dish antenna, saucer

   types:

   scanner

   a radar dish that rotates or oscillates in order to scan a broad area

   type of:

   directional antenna

   an antenna that transmits or receives signals only in a narrow angle
5. verb

   make concave; shape like a dish
   type of:

   form, shape

   give shape or form to
6. verb

   provide (usually but not necessarily food)
   “She dished out the soup at 8 P.M.”

   synonyms: dish out, dish up, serve, serve up

   help, serve

   help to some food; help with food or drink

   types:

   plank

   cook and serve on a plank

   type of:

   cater, ply, provide, supply

   give what is desired or needed, especially support, food or sustenance
7. noun

   a very attractive or seductive looking woman
   synonyms: beauty, knockout, looker, lulu, mantrap, peach, ravisher, smasher, stunner, sweetheart

   type of:

   adult female, woman

   an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
8. noun

   an activity that you like or at which you are superior
   “marriage was scarcely his dish”

   synonyms: bag, cup of tea

   type of:

   activity

   any specific behavior