menu
Definitions
A list of dishes available in a restaurant.
（餐厅的）菜单。
A list of options or commands on a computer or device.
（计算机/设备的）选项菜单。
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedmenu came through French from Latin minūtus, 'made small, detailed.' A menu was first a 'small, fine, detailed list' — a finely itemized list of the dishes in a meal. Computing borrowed the metaphor: a menu is a small itemized list of choices.
Root minu still carries 49 more wordsWhy It Means This
The link to 'small' is hidden but real: French menu means 'tiny, detailed,' from Latin minūtus. The full phrase was menu de repas, a 'detailed (itemized) list of a meal.' The everyday word for a restaurant's offerings is, etymologically, a word about smallness and fine detail — which is exactly why software 'menus' work too.
Common Collocations
- 1.menu item菜单项
- 2.main menu主菜单
- 3.context menu右键菜单
- 4.drop-down menu下拉菜单
- 5.set menu套餐
Example Sentences
- 1.
Could we see the dessert menu, please?
- 2.
Select 'Save As' from the file menu.