garlic

American  

[gahr-lik] / ˈgɑr lɪk /

noun

1. a hardy plant, Allium sativum, of the amaryllis family, whose strongly pungent bulb is used in cooking and medicine.

2. any of various plants of the genus Allium related to the familiar culinary garlic A. sativum.

3. the bulb of Allium sativum, consisting of smaller bulbs, or cloves, used in cooking, sometimes in the form of a powder, a paste, or minced pieces.

4. the flavor or smell of this bulb.

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adjective

1. cooked, flavored, or seasoned with garlic, the pungent bulb of the Allium sativum plant.

   garlic bread;

   garlic salt.

2. of or relating to garlic.

garlic British  

/ ˈɡɑːlɪk /

noun

1. a hardy widely cultivated Asian alliaceous plant, Allium sativum, having a stem bearing whitish flowers and bulbils

2. 1. the bulb of this plant, made up of small segments (cloves) that have a strong odour and pungent taste and are used in cooking

   2. ( as modifier )

      a garlic taste

3. any of various other plants of the genus Allium

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Other Word Forms

• garlicked adjective
• garlicky adjective

Etymology

Origin of garlic

First recorded before 1000; Middle English garlec, Old English gārlēac ( gar “spear”, cognate with German Ger, + lēac leek )

Example Sentences

Generous chunks of chicken are coated in a silky, spiced sauce made with crushed tomatoes, cream, onions, garlic, ginger and butter.

From Salon

For example, I know you can’t plant garlic and beans close together, because they need the same nutrients from the soil.

From Literature

The senior EU official said there were no concessions for sugar, ethanol, rice, soft wheat, beef, chicken meat, milk powders, bananas, honey or garlic.

From Barron's

But it’s also a vampire movie, full of fangs, gore and garlic, and it’s there where Mr. Coogler falters.

From The Wall Street Journal

You’ll want to mix garlic, pepper, Tabasco, soy sauce, and lemon and lime juice all together.

From Salon