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.
bowl • • plate • • platter •
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 dirt → see 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]