artichoke

American  

[ahr-ti-chohk] / ˈɑr tɪˌtʃoʊk /

noun

1. a tall, thistlelike composite plant, Cynara scolymus, native to the Mediterranean region, of which the numerous scalelike bracts and receptacle of the immature flower head are eaten as a vegetable.

2. the large, rounded, closed flower head itself.

3. Jerusalem artichoke.

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artichoke British  

/ ˈɑːtɪˌtʃəʊk /

noun

1. Also called: globe artichoke.  a thistle-like Eurasian plant, Cynara scolymus, cultivated for its large edible flower head containing many fleshy scalelike bracts: family Asteraceae (composites)

2. the unopened flower head of this plant, which can be cooked and eaten

3. See Jerusalem artichoke

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Etymology

Origin of artichoke

1525–35; < Upper Italian articiocco, variant (by dissimilation) of arciciocco, arcicioffo < *arcarcioffo < Old Spanish alcarchofa < dialectal Arabic al-kharshūf the artichoke

Explanation

An artichoke is an edible plant with many leaves and a tender, delicious heart. Some people like to dip their artichoke leaves in melted butter. The artichoke you can buy in the supermarket is called a "globe artichoke," and it's specially cultivated to be tasty. Artichokes are actually a kind of thistle, or a prickly, flowering plant. The part of an artichoke that's edible has to be picked before it blooms, or it becomes too tough to eat. The word comes from the Northern Italian articiocco, with its Arabic root word, al-hursufa.

Example Sentences

Olives, roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomato, artichoke hearts, marinated mushrooms — each one adds a tiny jolt of savoriness that keeps the bowl from tipping too sweet or too soft.

From Salon • Dec. 16, 2025

My most recent one is a tortino di carciofi — a spiral omelet with an artichoke in the middle that I eat at Trattoria Sostanza in Florence.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2024

Drain the artichoke hearts well, omit or reduce the olive oil, and reduce the vinegar by half until you taste the final product.

From Salon • May 9, 2024

"We're now in a situation where we have a full-on drought," says Xavier Oliva, an artichoke farmer who owns land just outside the city.

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2024

Nana tossed creamed corn and green beans and artichoke hearts into our cart.

From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson