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arugula

American

[uh-roo-guh-luh] / əˈru gə lə /

noun

a Mediterranean plant, Eruca vesicaria sativa, of the mustard family, having pungent leaves used in salads.

arugula British

/ əˈruːɡjʊlə /

noun

another name for rocket 2

"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 arugula

1965–70; apparently < an Upper Italian dial. form, akin to Lombard arigola, Venetian rucola < Latin ērūca name for Eruca sativa (compare Italian ruca ), with diminutive suffix -ola < Latin -ula -ule; rocket ²

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.

Some seasons it’s arugula, great wilted into pasta, tossed over eggs or layered into a sandwich.

From Salon • Mar. 9, 2026

I’ll often serve it with an arugula salad.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026

Enjoy this pasta coated in a buttery herb sauce or topped with fresh arugula, sunflower seeds, shaved parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.

From Salon • Aug. 7, 2025

It comes with a little ketchup on it and I get a side salad, which is like arugula and a little Parmesan and maybe a small orange juice.

From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2025

She orders what he does, porcini ravioli and a salad of arugula and pears.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri

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