asparagus
Americannoun
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any plant of the genus Asparagus, of the lily family, especially A. officianalis, cultivated for its edible shoots.
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the shoots, eaten as a vegetable.
noun
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any Eurasian liliaceous plant of the genus Asparagus, esp the widely cultivated A. officinalis, having small scaly or needle-like leaves
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the succulent young shoots of A. officinalis, which may be cooked and eaten
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a fernlike species of asparagus, A. plumosus, native to southern Africa
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of asparagus
before 1000; < Latin < Greek asp ( h ) áragos; replacing Old English sparagi (< Medieval Latin ) and later sperage, sparrowgrass
Explanation
Asparagus is a bright green vegetable that is tender and sweet when it's cooked. Asparagus grows straight up out of the ground in a spear shape. The plant that grows familiar asparagus spears is actually a relative of the lily — it's considered to be a flowering plant, and a perennial, or a plant that returns every year. Asparagus has been eaten for centuries, and is even pictured in some ancient Egyptian art. The word is also asparagus in Latin, from the Greek asparagos, possibly from a Proto-Indo-European word meaning "to spring up."
Vocabulary lists containing asparagus
Green
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The Schwa Was Here
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Rez Dogs
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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.
Add the asparagus and let everything turn glossy for a few minutes, then toss with sweet snap peas, chives and al dente pasta.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
It did so, nominating thousands of ingredients, including, for example, purified water and asparagus.
From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026
As we finished up our mid-afternoon meal — a hodgepodge of spicy tuna bites and asparagus fries paired with guava and berry mocktails — McCurdy reflected on the agency she is finally able to take.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 19, 2026
For lunch, she recommends I have green salad, beans or lentils, broccoli, asparagus or beetroot, and grilled chicken without skin.
From BBC • Jan. 12, 2026
“Oh, there’s corned beef and plenty of potatoes, and I shall get some asparagus and a lobster, ‘for a relish’, as Hannah says.
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
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.
