Word origins - 2ed. J. Ayto. 2005.
LETTUCE — (Heb. חֲזֶרֶת, ḥazeret or חַסָּה, ḥssah), vegetable. Lettuce is not mentioned in the Bible. According to rabbinic tradition, however, it is included in the term merorim ( bitter herbs, Ex. 12:8) which are commanded to be eaten on the night of the … Encyclopedia of Judaism
Lettuce — Let tuce (l[e^]t t[i^]s), n. [OE. letuce, prob. through Old French from some Late Latin derivative of L. lactuca lettuce, which, according to Varro, is fr. lac, lactis, milk, on account of the milky white juice which flows from it when it is cut … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
lettuce — (n.) late 13c., probably from O.Fr. laitues, pl. of laitue lettuce, from L. lactuca lettuce, from lac (gen. lactis) milk (see LACTATION (Cf. lactation)); so called for the milky juice of the plant … Etymology dictionary
lettuce — ► NOUN 1) a cultivated plant with edible leaves that are eaten in salads. 2) used in names of other plants with edible green leaves, e.g. lamb s lettuce. ORIGIN Old French letues, from Latin lactuca, from lac milk (because of its milky juice) … English terms dictionary
lettuce — [let′əs] n. [ME letuse < OFr laituës, pl. of laitue < L lactuca < lac (gen. lactis), milk (see GALACTIC): from its milky juice] 1. any of a genus (Lactuca) of hardy, annual composite plants; specif., a plant ( L. sativa) grown for its… … English World dictionary
Lettuce — Taxobox name = Lettuce image width = 260 px image caption = Iceberg lettuce field in Northern Santa Barbara County regnum = Plantae divisio = Magnoliophyta classis = Magnoliopsida ordo = Asterales familia = Asteraceae genus = Lactuca species = L … Wikipedia
lettuce — /let is/, n. 1. a cultivated plant, Lactuca sativa, occurring in many varieties and having succulent leaves used for salads. 2. any species of Lactuca. 3. Slang. U.S. dollar bills; greenbacks. [1250 1300; 1925 30 for def. 3; ME letuse, appar. … Universalium
lettuce — n. 1) crisp lettuce 2) bib; iceberg; leaf lettuce 3) a head of lettuce * * * [ letɪs] iceberg leaf lettuce a head of lettuce bib crisp lettuce … Combinatory dictionary
lettuce — noun ADJECTIVE ▪ crisp, crunchy ▪ limp ▪ chopped, shredded ▪ cos (BrE), iceberg, romaine … Collocations dictionary
lettuce — English lore seems a little confused about the lettuce. On the one hand we are assured that lettuce brings about sterility in men (Dodoens, Herball (1578), and Folkard, Plant Lore (1884), both quoted in Opie and Tatem), or that o ermuch… … A Dictionary of English folklore
lettuce — noun /ˈlɛtɪs/ a) An edible plant, Lactuca sativa and its close relatives, having a head of green and/or purple leaves. I’ll have a ham sandwich with lettuce and tomato. b) The leaves of the lettuce plant, eaten as a vegetable; as a dish often… … Wiktionary
