lettuce

noun

let·​tuce ˈle-təs How to pronounce lettuce (audio)
: any of a genus (Lactuca) of composite plants
especially : a common garden vegetable (L. sativa) whose succulent leaves are used especially in salads

Examples of lettuce in a Sentence

I like a little lettuce and tomato on my sandwiches.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Taco Bell has been a bright spot in the fast food industry, but saw a traffic decline over the summer due toa cyclospora outbreak that was linked to lettuce served at a number of restaurants. — Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2026 Serve in warm corn tortillas, over shredded lettuce, alongside black beans, or topped with guacamole, salsa, or pico de gallo. — ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026 Among the additions is a taco salad designed to look like a taco rather than the traditional bowl of lettuce and toppings. — Dillon Thomas, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 The sandwich consisted of a marinated skinless chicken breast filet, lettuce, tomato, sweet red onion, Monterey Jack cheese and a herb sauce, all piled on a bun, according to a 1993 press release about the menu item. — Sadie Chafe, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lettuce

Word History

Etymology

Middle English letuse, from Anglo-French letuse, probably from plural of letue lettuce plant, from Latin lactuca, from lact-, lac milk; from its milky juice — more at galaxy

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lettuce was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing lettuce

Browse Nearby Words

lettsomite
lettuce
lettuce aphid
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lettuce.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lettuce. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

lettuce

noun
let·​tuce ˈlet-əs How to pronounce lettuce (audio)
: a common garden vegetable related to the daisies that has crisp juicy leaves used especially in salads

More from Merriam-Webster on lettuce

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lettuce

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