# mayonnaise

Pronunciation: US say "MAY-uh-nayz" /ˈmeɪ.ə.neɪz/; UK say "may-uh-NAYZ" /ˌmeɪ.əˈneɪz/

## Noun

1. A thick, creamy dressing of raw egg yolks emulsified with vegetable oil and vinegar or lemon juice, seasoned and used on salads, fries, and sandwiches.
   - Simple: A thick, creamy sauce made from oil, egg yolks, and vinegar, used on sandwiches and salads.
   - _He whisked the oil slowly into the yolks until the mayonnaise thickened._
   - _A spoonful of mayonnaise gave the potato salad its creamy texture._
2. A cold prepared dish that includes mayonnaise as one of its ingredients.
   - Simple: A cold dish that has mayonnaise mixed in, such as a chicken salad.
   - _The caterer served a chicken mayonnaise as part of the cold buffet._
   - _Guests helped themselves to the egg mayonnaise before the main course._
4. A cosmetic cream based on egg yolks and oil, used to moisturize the face or condition the hair.
   - Simple: A cream for the skin or hair, made from egg yolks and oil.
   - _The salon worked a rich mayonnaise into her damaged ends._
   - _He left the mayonnaise on his scalp for twenty minutes as a deep conditioner._
5. Overstatement that makes something seem grander or more important than it really is. *(colloquial, Australia)*
   - Simple: Words or talk that make something sound bigger or better than it really is.
   - _There was plenty of mayonnaise in her version of how the deal went down._
   - _Critics dismissed the memoir as pure mayonnaise._

## Verb

3. To coat or season food with mayonnaise.
   - Simple: To put mayonnaise on food to flavor it.
   - _He mayonnaised the fries generously and handed them over._
   - _You can mayonnaise the chicken before grilling it._

## Origin

A borrowing from French mayonnaise, possibly named after the city of Maó (Mahón in Spanish) on Minorca, from where the recipe was said to have been brought back to France; compare Spanish mahonesa. Other suggested origins include the city of Bayonne, the Duke of Mayenne, and the French word manier ("to handle") or Old French moyeu ("egg yolk").

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