lettuce
[ let-is ]
/ ˈlɛt ɪs /
noun
a cultivated plant, Lactuca sativa, occurring in many varieties and having succulent leaves used for salads.
any species of Lactuca.
Slang.
U.S. dollar bills; greenbacks.
Origin of lettuce
1250–1300; 1925–30
for def 3; Middle English
letuse, apparently < Old French
laitues, plural of
laitue < Latin
lactūca a lettuce, perhaps derivative of
lac, stem
lact- milk, with termination as in
erūca
rocket2 (or by association with Greek
galaktoûchos having milk)
Words nearby lettuce
lettie,
lettish,
lettre de cachet,
lettre de change,
lettre de créance,
lettuce,
letup,
letzeburgesch,
leu,
leu enkephalin,
leuc-
Example sentences from the Web for lettuce
British Dictionary definitions for lettuce
lettuce
/ (ˈlɛtɪs) /
noun
any of various plants of the genus Lactuca, esp L. sativa, which is cultivated in many varieties for its large edible leaves: family Asteraceae (composites)
the leaves of any of these varieties, which are eaten in salads
any of various plants that resemble true lettuce, such as lamb's lettuce and sea lettuce
Word Origin for lettuce
C13: probably from Old French
laitues, pl of
laitue, from Latin
lactūca, from
lac- milk, because of its milky juice