""may·on·naise   (mā′ə-nāz′, mā′ə-nāz′)n.A dressing made of beaten raw egg yolk, oil, lemon juice or vinegar, and seasonings.[French mahonnaise, mayonnaise, possibly from Mahón, Spanish city on Minorca captured by Louis François Armand de Vignerot du Plessis, Duc de Richelieu (1696-1788), in 1756 (the duke's chef is said to have introduced mayonnaise in honor of this victory).""

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.