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.
Phrases and idioms:
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.
Derivatives:
dishful n. (pl. -fuls). dishlike adj.
Etymology: OE disc plate, bowl (with Gmc and ON cognates) f. L discus DISC