n. & v.
n. 1 a a shallow, usu. flat-bottomed container for cooking or serving food, made of glass, ceramics, metal, etc. b the food served in a dish (all the dishes were delicious). c a particular kind of food (a meat dish). 2 (in pl.) dirty plates, cutlery, cooking pots, etc. after a meal. 3 a a dish-shaped receptacle, object, or cavity. b = satellite dish. 4 sl. a sexually attractive person.
v.tr. 1 put (food) into a dish ready for serving. 2 colloq. a outmanoeuvre. b Brit. destroy (one's hopes, chances, etc.). 3 make concave or dish-shaped. dish out sl. distribute, esp. carelessly or indiscriminately. dish up 1 serve or prepare to serve (food). 2 colloq. seek to present (facts, argument, etc.) attractively. dishful n. (pl. -fuls). dishlike adj.
[ OE disc plate, bowl (with Gmc and ON cognates) f. L discus DISC ]