Boston lettuce
1
2.5
- noun
- /ˈbɔstən ˈlɛtɪs/
:
lechuga Boston
- Boston lettuce leaves
- head of Boston lettuce
- Boston lettuce salad
Examples
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I'd tossed dandelion greens, arugula, Boston lettuce, and endive with a buttermilk dressing to have after the heavy dish.
Fiction book (1994) -
Line 4 dinner plates with leaves from 1 large head of Boston lettuce.
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Spoon salad onto a large platter lined with Boston lettuce leaves.
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We began, of course, with a beet and Boston lettuce salad topped with crumbled blue cheese.
Synonyms
93
1.0
A leafy green vegetable often eaten raw in salads
1
4.2
A small round salad green with soft, slightly sweet leaves
A type of lettuce with soft, tender leaves that form a loose head
A lettuce with soft round leaves and a mild buttery taste
A tender lettuce with slightly crunchy leaves often used in salads
A lettuce with leaves packed into a round ball like iceberg
A leafy garden plant with crisp leaves used in salads
A leafy vegetable grown in gardens for fresh salads
Surface Forms
Morphology
Boston + lettuce
The phrase names a variety of lettuce: combining the place-name 'Boston' with 'lettuce' signals a type or cultivar associated with that name. Place+food naming is a common, compositional pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both words can reasonably infer it denotes a kind of lettuce.
Etymology
Boston lettuce may come from the city Boston, where this soft, mild lettuce was grown and sold long ago. So today Boston lettuce means a kind of lettuce with 'tender' leaves often used in salads.