men·u / ˈmenyoō/ • n. (pl. men·us) a list of dishes available in a restaurant: the waiter handed her a menu | fig. politics and sport are on the menu tonight. ∎  the food available or to be served in a restaurant or at a meal: a no-fuss dinner-party menu. ∎  Comput. a list of commands or options, esp. one displayed on screen.ORIGIN: mid 19th cent.: from French, ‘detailed list’ (noun use of menu ‘small, detailed’), from Latin minutus ‘very small.’

menu A list of options that may be displayed either vertically or horizontally on a screen and from which one or more items may be selected using an input device. If a mouse or other pointing device is available, then the cursor may be moved to the desired item and a selection made by clicking a mouse button or its equivalent. Alternatively the cursor may be moved by means of the arrow keys on the keyboard. Each item in the menu may have a unique number or letter to identify it, or the first or some other character unique to the item may be emphasized in some way. In this case, the selection may be made by pressing the appropriate key on the keyboard. See also pull-down menu, pop-up menu, tear-off menu.

menu Commonly used to mean the list of foods and dishes served by a restaurant, but correctly a set meal (with options) or dish of the day, as opposed to à la carte.

menu XIX. — F., sb. use of menu small, MINUTE2, for menu de repas ‘list of items of a meal’.