mayo

n. a short way of saying mayonnaise, the thick white sauce used in sandwiches and salads.

n. a clipping of mayonnaise. Uncountable when referring to the substance; countable when referring to a serving or variety.

“Do you want some mayo on your chicken sandwich?”

“The chef prepared a homemade garlic mayo to accompany the fries, insisting that the bottled version lacked the necessary acidity.”

Informal

n. a large county located on the west coast of Ireland.

n. a county of Ireland located in the province of Connacht. Always capitalized as a proper noun.

“My grandmother grew up on a small farm in Mayo before moving to Dublin.”

“The rugged coastline of Mayo attracts thousands of tourists annually, many of whom come to hike Croagh Patrick.”

n. a rude or insulting word for a white person.

n. a derogatory ethnic slur directed at white people. Used primarily in specific online subcultures to imply a lack of culture or flavor.

“He was offended when someone used the word mayo to describe him online.”

“The moderator banned the user for repeatedly using 'mayo' as a racial epithet during the heated political debate.”

Slang · Vulgar

n. extra details added to a story to make it sound more exciting than it really is.

n. an informal term for exaggeration or the addition of false details to a narrative. Often used in the phrase 'a bit of mayo'.

“I think he's putting a bit of mayo on that story about catching a giant fish.”

“While the core of his report was accurate, the inspector suspected the witness had added some mayo to the account of the confrontation.”

British English · Dialect · Informal