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Glite Dictionary
Italian dressing

Italian dressing

2 2.4
A thin sauce for salad made with oil, vinegar, garlic, and herbs like oregano
  • noun
  • /ɪˈtæljən ˈdrɛsɪŋ/
  • US
translation icon : aderezo italiano
  • "Italian dressing on my salad."
  • salad with Italian dressing
  • low-fat Italian dressing
  • light Italian dressing

Examples

  • Elvis's mom was sitting at the table closest to me, repeatedly screaming to Elvis and his dad, who were in line, that she wanted "the grilled chicken salad with Italian dressing."

    Blog text (2)

  • Two lobster tails, hash browns, and Italian dressing.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • A cup of soup, a garden salad with Italian dressing on the side.

    Girlfight (2000)

  • I was skeptical about the Italian dressing at first, but it seems to go well.

    Blog text (15)

  • If dry, add in more mayo and Italian dressing.

    Blog text (20)

  • If you are taking this on a picnic, add in the second batch of mayo and Italian dressing before you pack up.

    Blog text (20)

  • When ready to serve, add in 1/4 cup Italian dressing and 2 tablespoons mayo.

    Blog text (20)

  • Add Italian dressing or olive oil, vinegar, or Italian spice mix to taste.

    Blog text (15)

  • I choose to marinate my meats with natural spices or good old Italian dressing.

    Blog text (21)

  • I drizzled Italian dressing over my mixed greens for added flavor.

Synonyms

vinaigrette
vsItalian dressing
28 3.3

A salad dressing made from oil and vinegar, often with mustard or garlic

is similar but adds specific herbs such as oregano and basil
salad dressing
vsItalian dressing
13 1.0

A cold sauce like oil and vinegar or ranch that adds flavor to fresh vegetables

is a vinaigrette-style version that emphasizes garlic and herbs
dressing
vsItalian dressing
8 1.0

A sauce like vinaigrette or a creamy one used on salads

is a specific herb and garlic flavored vinaigrette rather than any sauce
sauce vinaigrette
vsItalian dressing
3.4

A cold dressing of oil and vinegar with mustard and garlic

is similar but focuses on Mediterranean herb flavors alongside garlic

Surface Forms

Italian dressing singular
Italian dressings plural

Morphology

Italian + dressing

The meaning is directly built from 'Italian' (relating to Italy or Italian style) + 'dressing' (a sauce for salads), so a learner who knows both words can infer it denotes a salad sauce in an Italian style. This adjective+noun composition is a common, transparent naming pattern cross-linguistically, so B1 learners will grasp the general sense even if they might not predict the exact herbs used.

Etymology

Italian dressing is named for a simple idea: a dressing made with herbs and oil from Italian cooking, like oregano, basil and garlic. So, because it is an oil-and-vinegar mix flavored with those herbs, the phrase now means that kind of 'salad dressing'.