# dish

/ˈdɪʃ/ (US) · /dˈɪʃ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/dish
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. a container for food

noun · CEFR A1

a shallow container, like a plate or a bowl, used for holding or serving food.

For teachers: a vessel, typically concave and circular, used for the presentation or consumption of food.

- He placed the large ceramic dish in the center of the table.
- The artisan crafted a shallow wooden dish designed specifically for serving seasonal fruits and nuts during the autumn festival.

### 2. prepared food

noun · CEFR A1

a particular type of food that is prepared as a meal.

For teachers: a specific variety of prepared food or a particular item on a menu.

- My favorite Italian dish is lasagna with extra cheese.
- The chef recommended a signature dish featuring locally sourced seafood and a delicate saffron-infused reduction.

### 3. items to be washed

noun · CEFR A2

the plates, cups, and cutlery that need to be washed after a meal.

For teachers: tableware and cooking utensils collectively, especially when requiring cleaning after use.

- It is your turn to do the dishes after we finish dinner.
- After the banquet, the kitchen staff spent hours scrubbing the dishes and polishing the silverware for the next day's event.

### 4. an antenna

noun · CEFR B1

a large, bowl-shaped piece of equipment used to receive radio or television signals.

For teachers: a parabolic antenna used for the transmission or reception of electromagnetic signals.

- They installed a satellite dish on the roof to get more international channels.
- The remote research station utilized a massive radio dish to communicate with orbiting satellites and deep-space probes.

### 5. gossip

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal · Slang

interesting information or secrets about other people's private lives.

For teachers: casual or unconstrained conversation or reports about other people, typically involving details that are not confirmed as being true.

- Come over for coffee and give me all the dish on your new job.
- The tabloid magazines are always full of the latest dish regarding the private lives of Hollywood celebrities.

### 6. to serve food

verb · CEFR B1

to put food onto plates so that it can be eaten.

For teachers: to present or serve food in a dish; often used with 'up' or 'out'.

- Could you help me dish out the soup into these bowls?
- The volunteers began to dish up hundreds of hot meals for the community members gathered at the shelter.

### 7. to gossip or criticize

verb · CEFR C1 · Informal · Slang

to tell secrets about someone or to say mean things about them.

For teachers: to share gossip or to criticize someone harshly; frequently used in the phrasal verb 'dish it out'.

- He loves to dish about his coworkers when they aren't around.
- If you are going to dish out criticism so freely, you must be prepared to receive it in return.

## Examples

- She puts the pasta into a large serving dish.
- The waiter recommended the local seafood dish, which is prepared with fresh herbs and lemon.
- While the ceramic dish itself was an antique, the chef used it to present a modern fusion of traditional and contemporary culinary techniques.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.