side dish

American

noun

a serving of a portion of food in addition to the principal food, usually on a separate dish.
the small additional dish used for such food.

side dish British

noun

a portion of food served in addition to the main dish

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of side dish

First recorded in 1715–25

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Well, we can always use a side dish.”

From Literature

There’s something we all solemnly acknowledge in November and then immediately forget by January: the side dishes are the real reason to show up.

From Salon

Camille, Andre, and I place our salads with the other side dishes while Dad and Aunt Melissa drag the cooler into a blue tent.

From Literature

“Need I remind you, I don’t know deep-cut Ashkenazi stuff; it’s not my thing. Like, I barely understand kugel. Is it a dessert or a side dish? Is it noodles or is it cheesecake?”

From Literature

That means offering more side dishes at good prices, including ones baked in the chain’s ovens.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023