allium

[ al-ee-uhm ]

/ ˈæl i əm /

Save This Word!

noun

any bulbous plant belonging to the genus Allium, of the amaryllis family, having an onion odor and flowers in a round cluster, including the onion, leek, shallot, garlic, and chive.

a substance occurring in garlic bulbs that has antibiotic properties.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON OPPOSITES OF RED BEFORE YOU TURN SCARLET

We have a challenge that will make you blush: do you know the many words and ways to describe the opposite of red?

Question 1 of 7

Which of the following colors is used to symbolize AIR?

white

green

red

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of allium

1800–10; <New Latin, Latin: garlic

Words nearby allium

Allison, Allis's sign, alliterate, alliteration, alliterative, allium, alliumphobia, all joking aside, all kinds of, allmouth, allness

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use allium in a sentence

The dried allium in some form — garlic powder, granulated garlic and garlic salt — has been part of my palate since I was a child enjoying my mother’s recipes.
How and when to use garlic powder, a reliable seasoning that deserves respect|Aaron Hutcherson|June 25, 2021|Washington Post
I found myself making turkey chili, turkey sloppy joes, turkey tacos and turkey kofta kebabs regularly — all dishes that demand assertive seasoning, be it spices, sauces, alliums or herbs.
It’s time to show ground turkey a little respect|Rob Petrone|May 31, 2021|Washington Post
The combination of the rare, limited availability of these little alliums and the brief window in which they’re available makes them highly coveted among the type of people who obsess about their produce.
Ramps, spring’s trendiest produce, explained|Nisha Chittal|May 14, 2021|Vox
In most cultures, onions and other alliums are generally used as a component of a dish, not the main attraction.
Ramps, spring’s trendiest produce, explained|Nisha Chittal|May 14, 2021|Vox

Scallions are also great uncooked and have a fresh allium flavor.
Onions, shallots, scallions and leeks are mostly interchangeable in recipes. Here’s how to use what you have.|Becky Krystal|November 23, 2020|Washington Post
In Tennessee and West Virginia, festivals are held to celebrate allium tricoccum, which are also known as wild leeks.
What to Eat: Spring Feast|Cookstr.com|March 9, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Moly seems to have been Allium moly, one of the onion or garlic family.
The Romance of Plant Life|G. F. Scott Elliot
From all these facts I am led to believe that Allium ascalonicum is not a species.
Origin of Cultivated Plants|Alphonse De Candolle
And here we find in several places the bulblets of a wild garlic, Allium Canadense, which grows on the river bottom.
Seed Dispersal|William J. Beal
Regel, in 1875, in his monograph of the genus Allium, declares he has only seen the shallot as a cultivated species.
Origin of Cultivated Plants|Alphonse De Candolle
The Allium neapolitanum is the finest white-flowered variety, and is exceedingly valuable for bouquets and vase decoration.
The Culture of Vegetables and Flowers From Seeds and Roots, 16th Edition|Sutton and Sons

British Dictionary definitions for allium

allium

/ (ˈælɪəm) /

noun

any plant of the genus Allium, such as the onion, garlic, shallot, leek, or chive: family Alliaceae

Word Origin for allium

C19: from Latin: garlic

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012