allium

American

[al-ee-uhm] / ˈæl i əm /

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.

allium British

/ ˈælɪəm /

noun

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

"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

Etymology

Origin of allium

1800–10; < New Latin, Latin: garlic

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.

See Examples For:

allium

For his ramp-themed dinner, Jaranilla put together a five-course tasting menu to showcase the versatility of the allium, in the same family as garlic, leeks and onions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026

This is liquid gold that can be used in sauces, dressings and stir-fries to add an extra layer of allium depth.

From Salon ● Mar. 19, 2025

Onions — and their extended allium family, which includes garlic, leeks, shallots, chives and scallions—are nature’s greatest flavor amplifiers.

From Salon ● Mar. 19, 2025

The result is a dish with pure sweet-potato flavor accented by fresh notes of allium and nutty sesame seeds.

From Washington Times ● Nov. 28, 2023

Alliaceous, al-li-ā′shus, adj. pertaining to, or having the properties of allium or garlic.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) by Various

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023