# lettuce

Pronunciation: say "LET-is" /ˈlɛt.ɪs/

## Noun

1. The edible leaves of the salad plant, eaten as a vegetable and often mixed with other ingredients and dressing into a dish.
   - Simple: The crisp green leaves that people eat raw in salads or on sandwiches.
   - _She tore the lettuce into pieces and tossed it with olive oil._
   - _The salad was mostly lettuce, with a few slices of tomato on top._
2. An edible plant of the species Lactuca sativa and its close relatives, forming a head of green or purple leaves.
   - Simple: A leafy garden plant grown for its green or purple leaves that people eat.
   - _Lettuce grows quickly in cool weather and turns bitter when the season gets too warm._
   - _Gardeners often grow lettuce alongside slower crops because it matures so fast._
3. United States paper currency, especially cash in the form of dollar bills. *(slang, US)*
   - Simple: Paper money, especially US dollar bills.
   - _The rapper bragged about stacking lettuce after the sold-out show._
   - _She counted out her lettuce and realized she was short on rent._
4. Long, flowing, curly hair of the kind grown out by men in bro culture. *(slang)*
   - Simple: Long, curly hair worn by some young men as a cool, casual style.
   - _The volleyball player tucked his lettuce under a headband before the match._
   - _Everyone in the fraternity was growing out their lettuce that year._
5. Cannabis prepared for use as a recreational drug; marijuana. *(slang)*
   - Simple: Marijuana, the dried green plant that some people smoke to get high.
   - _He rolled the lettuce into a joint and passed it around the circle._
   - _The cops pulled them over and found a jar of lettuce in the trunk._
6. A strong yellow-green color, resembling that of fresh lettuce leaves; also called lettuce green.
   - Simple: A bright yellow-green color, like the color of fresh lettuce leaves.
   - _The designer chose a vivid lettuce for the spring collection._
   - _Walls painted in lettuce gave the room a fresh, springlike feel._

## Origin

From Middle English letuse, of uncertain precise origin but probably from the plural Old French laitues, from Latin lactūca ("lettuce"), from lac ("milk"), because of the milky fluid in the plant's stalks; it replaced Old English lēahtric. As slang for money, it likely comes from the green color of US banknotes.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/lettuce (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).