chicory

American  

[chik-uh-ree] / ˈtʃɪk ə ri /

Or chiccory

noun

chicories plural

1. a composite plant, Cichorium intybus, having bright-blue flower heads and toothed oblong leaves, cultivated as a salad plant and for its root, which is used roasted and ground as a substitute for or additive to coffee.

2. the root of this plant.

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chicory British  

/ ˈtʃɪkərɪ /

noun

1. Also called: succory.  a blue-flowered plant, Cichorium intybus, cultivated for its leaves, which are used in salads, and for its roots: family Asteraceae (composites)

2. the root of this plant, roasted, dried, and used as a coffee substitute

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• chicories
  plural

Etymology

Origin of chicory

1350–1400; < Middle French chicoree, alteration of earlier cicoree (by influence of Italian cicoria ) < Latin cichorēa < Greek kichória, kíchora (neuter plurals); replacing Middle English cicoree < Middle French

Compare meaning

How does chicory compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• chicory vs. endive

Explanation

Chicory is a type of plant, an herb with bright blue flowers. In many parts of the world, including New Orleans, chicory is commonly added to coffee. Roasted and ground chicory root has frequently been used as an affordable substitute during coffee shortages. What started as a desperate move in wartime and during the Great Depression became a beloved tradition in some places, where chicory-coffee mixtures are now considered a regional treat. Chicory root is also used as a sweetener, and the leaves are sometimes eaten raw in salads. The blue flowers of chicory can be spotted growing wild along highways in many parts of Europe.

Example Sentences

And in exploring the world of Tunic, a new game from a small team and Chicory: A Colorful Tale publisher Finji, you’re going to want a little help.

From The Verge • Mar. 16, 2022

Chicory, St. John’s wort, thimbleberries and other plants and herbs grow wild on the property.

From New York Times • Sep. 17, 2021

Color has been stripped from the world, and the town’s famous artist, Chicory, has locked herself away in her bedroom, her love of art suddenly vanished.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 1, 2021

He blends Ground Chicory at $5 a pound with Jamaican Blue Mountain at $9 per pound.

From Textbooks • May 6, 2020

Coffee and Chicory said nothing, but they did the same; and Dick and Jack, fully under the impression that the lion had come back to life, cocked their rifles and stood ready to fire.

From Off to the Wilds Being the Adventures of Two Brothers by Hildibrand, Henri Théophile