cobb salad: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
MediumNeutral (common in menus, casual/restaurant conversation, cooking)
Quick answer
What does “cobb salad” mean?
A chopped American salad with a base of lettuce, tomato, bacon, chicken, egg, avocado, and blue cheese, typically served with a red wine vinaigrette.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A chopped American salad with a base of lettuce, tomato, bacon, chicken, egg, avocado, and blue cheese, typically served with a red wine vinaigrette.
Any substantial salad composed of chopped ingredients arranged in rows or sections, often reflecting the Cobb salad's signature combination of proteins, vegetables, and cheese.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In the UK, it is a recognised but less common menu item, often found in American-style restaurants. In the US, it is a widespread, classic salad option.
Connotations
US: A hearty, classic, reliable salad. UK: Often perceived as an American import or a specifically 'American-style' salad.
Frequency
High frequency in US restaurants and cookbooks; medium-low frequency in everyday UK contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “cobb salad” in a Sentence
[Subject] ate/ordered a Cobb salad.The menu features a classic Cobb salad.Let's [verb: make, prepare, share] a Cobb salad.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “cobb salad” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- We can cobble together a salad with these leftovers. (Note: 'cobble' is a pun, not a true verb form of 'Cobb')
American English
- They decided to Cobb-ify their regular salad by adding bacon and blue cheese. (Note: informal coinage)
adverb
British English
- [No standard adverbial form]
American English
- [No standard adverbial form]
adjective
British English
- It's a Cobb-style salad, but with Stilton instead of Roquefort.
American English
- She prefers the Cobb salad dressing on all her greens.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare, except in hospitality/food service contexts (e.g., 'The Cobb salad is our top-selling lunch item.')
Academic
Very rare, except in historical or cultural studies of food.
Everyday
Common in contexts of dining out, discussing food, or planning meals.
Technical
Used in culinary arts and menu engineering.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “cobb salad”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “cobb salad”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “cobb salad”
- Misspelling as 'cob salad' (a cob is a bread roll or corn).
- Omitting key ingredients like blue cheese or avocado and still calling it a Cobb salad.
- Incorrect capitalisation ('cobb salad' is acceptable, but 'Cobb salad' is standard).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is served cold. The ingredients like chicken, bacon, and eggs are cooked and then chilled before being added to the salad.
Yes, but it becomes a variation. You would omit the chicken and bacon, potentially substituting them with ingredients like smoked tofu, tempeh, or chickpeas. The classic version is not vegetarian.
It is named after Robert Howard Cobb, the owner of the famous Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood, who is credited with creating the salad in the 1930s.
The traditional dressing is a red wine vinaigrette. However, blue cheese dressing or a simple vinaigrette are also very common accompaniments.
A chopped American salad with a base of lettuce, tomato, bacon, chicken, egg, avocado, and blue cheese, typically served with a red wine vinaigrette.
Cobb salad is usually neutral (common in menus, casual/restaurant conversation, cooking) in register.
Cobb salad: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkɒb ˌsæləd/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkɑːb ˌsæləd/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No common idioms for this specific term]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of COBB as an acronym for the main ingredients: Chicken, Onion, Bacon, Blue cheese. (Note: Original also includes egg, avocado, tomato, lettuce.)
Conceptual Metaphor
A COMPOSITE/ASSEMBLY (a salad constructed from distinct, pre-prepared parts).
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary cultural origin of the Cobb salad?