broccoli
Americannoun
noun
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a cultivated variety of cabbage, Brassica oleracea italica , having branched greenish flower heads
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the flower head of this plant, eaten as a vegetable before the buds have opened
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a variety of this plant that does not form a head, whose stalks are eaten as a vegetable
Usage
What else does broccoli mean? Content warning: this article references illicit drugs. When not referring to the actual vegetable, broccoli is slang for "marijuana."
Etymology
Origin of broccoli
1690–1700; < Italian, plural of broccolo, equivalent to brocc ( o ) sprout (< Late Latin; see broach) + -olo diminutive suffix
Vocabulary lists containing broccoli
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Farms in California’s Imperial Valley depend entirely on the river to grow crops including hay, broccoli and lettuce.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026
Along with its recommendations, the association released a visual showing pictures of foods to choose, like tofu, beans, nuts, broccoli and soybean oil, and those to minimize, such as soda, chips and cookies.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
On one side were the vegetables and herbs: tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, mini broccoli, chives, parsley, tarragon and chervil.
From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026
He grows cauliflowers, broccoli, leeks and brussel sprouts around Comber in County Down.
From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026
It smells like Mrs. Partridge is cooking broccoli in 3G—again—and I’m a little embarrassed for Jonesy to smell it.
From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
