dish

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dish [noun] (CONTAINER)

a container, flatter than a bowl and sometimes with a lid, from which food can be served or which can be used for cooking

US /dɪʃ/ 
UK /dɪʃ/ 
Example: 

Have you done/washed the dishes?

Oxford Essential Dictionary

noun (plural dishes)

1 a container for food. You can use a dish to cook food in an oven, or to put food on the table.

2 the dishes (plural) all the plates, bowls, cups, etc. that you must wash after a meal:
I'll wash the dishes.

3 a part of a meal:
We had a fish dish and a vegetarian dish.

 

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

dish

I. dish1 S2 W3 /dɪʃ/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Language: Old English; Origin: disc, from Latin discus 'disk, plate']
1. a flat container with low sides, for serving food from or cooking food in ⇨ bowl:
a serving dish
an ovenproof dish
dish of
a large dish of spaghetti
2. the dishes all the plates, cups, bowls etc that have been used to eat a meal and need to be washed
do/wash the dishes
I’ll just do the dishes before we go.
REGISTER
In everyday English, people often use the expression do the washing-up (BrE) or do the dishes (AmE), rather than wash the dishes.
3. food cooked or prepared in a particular way as a meal:
a wonderful pasta dish
The menu includes a wide selection of vegetarian dishes.
This soup is substantial enough to serve as a main dish (=the biggest part of a meal).
4. something that is shaped like a dish:
a soap dish
5. informal old-fashioned someone who is sexually attractive
⇨ ↑side dish, ↑satellite dish
• • •
THESAURUS
food noun [uncountable and countable] things that people and animals eat: You can buy good fresh food in the market. | Do you like Japanese food?
dish noun [countable] a type of food that is cooked in a particular way: a traditional English dish | They also offer vegetarian dishes.
speciality British English, specialty American English noun [countable] a type of food that a restaurant or place is famous for: Fish dishes are a specialty of the region. | Home made pies are one of the hotel’s specialities.
delicacy noun [countable] an unusual food which people in a particular place like to eat: The local delicacies include laverbread (boiled seaweed). | I was keen to try out the local delicacies.
diet noun [countable] the type of food that someone usually eats: You shouldn’t have too much salt in your diet. | In the Andes, the main diet is beans, potatoes, and corn.
cooking noun [uncountable] food made in a particular way, or by a particular person: Herbs are used a lot in French cooking. | I love my Mum’s home cooking.
cuisine /kwɪˈziːn/ noun [countable] formal the food you can eat in a particular restaurant, country, or area: Italian cuisine | Trying the local cuisine is all part of the fun of travelling.
nutrition noun [uncountable] food considered as something that is necessary for good health and growth: a book on nutrition | Many homeless people suffer from poor nutrition.
nourishment /ˈnʌrɪʃmənt $ ˈnɜː-, ˈnʌ-/ noun [uncountable] goodness that you get from food, which helps your body to stay healthy: There's not much nourishment in fast food.
fare noun [uncountable] formal the kind of food that is served in a place – used especially when saying how interesting it is: In China you can feast on bird’s nest soup and other exotic fare. | Dinner was pretty standard fare (=the usual kind of food).

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

dish

dish [dish dishes dished dishing] noun, verb   [dɪʃ]    [dɪʃ] 

noun
1. countable a flat shallow container for cooking food in or serving it from
a glass dish
an ovenproof dish
a baking/serving dish
• They helped themselves from a large dish of pasta.

2. the dishes plural the plates, bowls, cups, etc. that have been used for a meal and need to be washed

• I'll do the dishes (= wash them).

3. countable food prepared in a particular way as part of a meal
a vegetarian/fish dish
This makes an excellent hot main dish.
I can recommend the chef's dish of the day.

see also  side dish

4. countable any object that is shaped like a dish or bowl
a soap dish

see also  satellite dish

5. countable (informal) a sexually attractive person
What a dish!  
Word Origin:
Old English disc ‘plate, bowl’ (related to Dutch dis, German Tisch ‘table’), based on Latin discus, from Greek diskos.  
Thesaurus:
dish noun C
Arrange the salad on a serving dish.
bowlplateplatter
a dish/bowl/plate/platter of sth
on a dish/plate/platter
in a dish/bowl 
Example Bank:
Arrange the salad in a serving dish.
Do you have a favourite dish?
Goulash is a meat dish.
He dried the dishes and put them away.
I can recommend the chef's dish of the day.
It's your turn to do the dishes.
Kedgeree makes a wonderful supper dish.
Serve one or two main dishes with a choice of salads and nibbles.
She cooked us a delicious French dish with pork and tomatoes.
The dirty breakfast dishes were still in the sink when we got home.
The national dish is ‘bigos’— hunter's stew.
The national dish is ‘feijoada’— pork with beans.
They sampled all the local dishes.
a restaurant that serves traditional Indian dishes
a simple dish, beautifully prepared
your pet's food dish
I'll do the dishes.
Idioms: dish it out  dish the dirt

Derived: dish something out  dish something up  dish up  dish up something 

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
 

dish / dɪʃ / noun (CONTAINER)

dish

A2 [ C ] a container, flatter than a bowl and sometimes with a lid, from which food can be served or which can be used for cooking:

an oven-proof dish

→  See also satellite dish

the dishes A2 [ plural ] all the plates, glasses, knives, forks, etc. that have been used during a meal:

Have you done/washed the dishes?
 

dish / dɪʃ / noun [ C ] (FOOD)

A2 food prepared in a particular way as part of a meal:

a chicken/vegetarian dish
 

dish / dɪʃ / noun [ S ] old-fashioned (ATTRACTIVE PERSON)

a sexually attractive person:

He's gorgeous - what a dish!

Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

dish

[dɪ̱ʃ]
 ♦♦♦
 dishes, dishing, dished

 1) N-COUNT A dish is a shallow container with a wide uncovered top. You eat and serve food from dishes and cook food in them.
  ...plastic bowls and dishes...
  Pile potatoes into a warm serving dish.
 2) N-COUNT: usu N of n The contents of a dish can be referred to as a dish of something.
  Nicholas ate a dish of spaghetti.
 3) N-COUNT Food that is prepared in a particular style or combination can be referred to as a dish.
  This dish is best served cold...
  There are plenty of vegetarian dishes to choose from.
  ...a delicious fish dish.
 4) N-PLURAL All the objects that have been used to cook, serve, and eat a meal can be referred to as the dishes.
  There were dirty dishes in the sink...
  He'd cooked dinner and washed the dishes.
 5) N-COUNT: usu with supp You can use the word dish to refer to anything that is round and hollow in shape with a wide uncovered top.
  ...a dish used to receive satellite broadcasts.
 6) → See also satellite dish, side dish
 7) PHRASE: V inflects If you do the dishes, you wash the dishes.
 to dish the dirtsee dirt
  I hate doing the dishes.
  Phrasal Verbs:
  - dish out
  - dish up

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

1dish /ˈdɪʃ/ noun, pl dish·es
1 [count]
a : a shallow container that you cook or serve food in
• a baking/serving dish [=a container used to bake/serve food]
• a casserole/pie dish [=a container used to bake a casserole/pie] specifically; : a shallow bowl
• a candy dish [=a container used to serve candy]
• the cat's food/water dish
b : the food served in a dish
• a dish of strawberries
• a small dish of ice cream
2 [count] : food that is prepared in a particular way
• Each person made a dish for the potluck supper.
• The restaurant serves some of my favorite dishes.
• a fish/pasta/potato dish [=food that has fish/pasta/potatoes as a main ingredient]
• The main dish [=the biggest dish of a meal] was poached salmon, and it was served with a side dish [=a food that is served at the same time as the main dish] of spinach.
3 dishes [plural] : all the things (such as plates, forks, glasses, pans, cooking utensils, etc.) that are used to prepare, serve, and eat a meal
• We piled all the dishes in the sink after dinner.
• Will you wash the breakfast dishes, please?
• a sink full of dirty dishes
• It's your turn to do the dishes. [=wash the dishes]
4 [count]
a : a shallow container that holds something other than food
• a soap dish
b : something that is shaped like a shallow bowl
• Do you have cable TV or a dish? [=an antenna shaped like a dish that receives television signals from a satellite]
• a dish antenna
- see also petri dish, satellite dish
5 [singular] informal + old-fashioned : a sexually attractive person
• I hear your cousin is a dish. [=hottie]