Hypertext Webster Gateway: "lettuce"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Lettuce \Let"tuce\ (l[e^]t"t[i^]s), n. [OE. letuce, prob.
through Old French from some Late Latin derivative of L.
lactuca lettuce, which, according to Varro, is fr. lac,
lactis, milk, on account of the milky white juice which flows
from it when it is cut: cf. F. laitue. Cf. {Lacteal},
{Lactucic}.] (Bot.)
A composite plant of the genus {Lactuca} ({L. sativa}), the
leaves of which are used as salad. Plants of this genus yield
a milky juice, from which lactucarium is obtained. The
commonest wild lettuce of the United States is {L.
Canadensis}.
{Hare's lettuce}, {Lamb's lettuce}. See under {Hare}, and
{Lamb}.
{Lettuce opium}. See {Lactucarium}.
{Sea lettuce}, certain papery green seaweeds of the genus
{Ulva}.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
lettuce
n 1: any of various plants of the genus Lactuca
2: leaves of any of various plants of Lactuca sativa
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