lettuce
B1Neutral, informal for slang meaning.
Definition
Meaning
A leafy green vegetable, typically eaten raw in salads.
Informally, paper money (slang, from its green colour); the leaves of the lettuce plant.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily an uncountable noun for the food substance, but countable when referring to varieties or whole heads (e.g., 'three lettuces').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences. Minor potential variation in terms for specific varieties (e.g., 'cos' vs. 'romaine').
Connotations
Identical core meaning. Slang for money ('lettuce') is more associated with American English.
Frequency
Equally common in both dialects as a core food term.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[verb] + lettuce: grow, chop, shred, wash, eat[adjective] + lettuce: crisp, fresh, wilted, organicVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “cool as a lettuce (rare, variant of 'cool as a cucumber')”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
In agriculture, retail, and food service sectors (e.g., 'lettuce prices fell this quarter').
Academic
In botany, nutrition, and agricultural science (e.g., 'Lactuca sativa cultivation').
Everyday
Common in cooking, shopping, and dining contexts (e.g., 'I need to buy lettuce for the salad').
Technical
Horticultural terms for cultivars, diseases, and harvesting techniques.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I like lettuce in my sandwich.
- The salad has tomato and lettuce.
- Could you wash the lettuce while I chop the carrots?
- We grow our own lettuce in the garden.
- Romaine lettuce is more nutritious than the iceberg variety.
- The outer leaves of the lettuce were wilted, so I discarded them.
- The chef meticulously arranged the micro-lettuces to create a visually stunning plate.
- A sudden frost decimated the region's early lettuce crop.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a LETter made of lettuce leaves. You 'LET' it be in your salad.
Conceptual Metaphor
MONEY IS FOOD ('He's earning a lot of lettuce'). FRESHNESS/CRISPINESS IS GOOD QUALITY.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'латук' (the plant) vs. 'салат' (the dish and the plant). In many contexts, 'салат' (salad) is used for the vegetable 'lettuce'.
Common Mistakes
- Using as a countable noun incorrectly (e.g., 'I ate two lettuces' vs. 'I ate two types of lettuce').
- Misspelling as 'letuce'.
- Confusing 'lettuce' (plant) with 'salad' (prepared dish).
Practice
Quiz
In informal American slang, 'lettuce' can refer to:
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is usually uncountable when referring to the food ('add some lettuce'). It can be countable when referring to whole heads or varieties ('the supermarket sells three different lettuces').
This varies by region, but iceberg, romaine (cos), and butterhead are among the most common globally.
It comes from the Old French 'laitues', plural of 'laitue', from the Latin 'lactuca', from 'lac' (milk), referring to the plant's milky sap.
While typically eaten raw, some varieties like romaine can be grilled or braised, and lettuce is used in cooked dishes in some cuisines (e.g., Chinese stir-fries).