Originally Posted by FBinNY

While Mr. Rabbit is very adamant about the definition and use of the word dish as applied to wheels, it's use varies, possibly by region, or by age.

Dished (asymmetric or offset) rear wheels are a relatively new thing. Prior to the sixties wheels were typically symmetrical, both front and rear. With the advent of asymmetrical rears because of 5s freewheels, we started applying the adjective dished to describe these. We never spoke of front wheels as being dished, it was reserved for asymmetric rears.

For many of us greybeards, dished still applies only to asymmetrical wheels, now including disc front wheels. We'll also use the verb form to mean to move the entire rim in one direction such as to bring it from centered in the flanges to being centered in the axle.

So, while different speakers may use the words dish or dished differently, the meaning can usually be taken from the context, something it has in common with many (most?) words in the English language.