from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
menu \men"u\ (m[e^]n"y[=oo]), n. [F., slender, thin, minute. See
4th {Minute}.]
1. The details of a banquet; a list of the dishes served at a
meal, whether or not one has a choice.
[PJC]
2. Any list of objects, activities, etc. from which to
choose; a selection of alternatives.
[PJC]
3. Hence:A list of dishes form which to choose at a
restaurant; a bill of fare.
[1913 Webster]
4. Hence: (Computers) A list displayed on the computer
screen, by which a program provides the user with
different options for processing by the program. It
usually includes a mechanism, such as pointing by a mouse
or selection by arrow keys, to select the desired option
from those on the list. Depending on how the menu is
displayed, it may be a {pop-up menu} or {pull-down menu}.
[PJC]