aubergine
Americannoun
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US, Canadian, and Australian name: eggplant. a tropical Old World solanaceous plant, Solanum melongena, widely cultivated for its egg-shaped typically dark purple fruit
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the fruit of this plant, which is cooked and eaten as a vegetable
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a dark purple colour
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( as adjective )
an aubergine dress
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Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of aubergine
First recorded in 1785–95; from French, from Catalan albargínia, from Arabic al “the” + bādhinjān “eggplant,” from Persian bādingān, perhaps from Indo-Aryan; compare Sanskrit vātiṅgaṇaḥ
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Explanation
An aubergine is a plant that grows large, dark purple fruits. If you live in North America, you probably call aubergines "eggplants." People who live in the United Kingdom use the word aubergine for these big, heavy, squash-like fruits. You probably think of them as vegetables, whether you call them aubergines or eggplants. One common way to serve them is fried in bread crumbs and covered in melty cheese. The word aubergine has a Sanskrit root, and it's commonly used to describe the rich, deep purple color of a ripe aubergine.
Vocabulary lists containing aubergine
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.
Amuseables, especially the aubergine, which Chinese fans call "the boss", have also spawned memes, with many sharing frustrations about adult life.
From BBC • Jan. 3, 2026
The bows danced as the models walked down the runway during the collection’s show at the Prada Foundation in Milan in tone-on-tone aubergine and baby pink iterations styled with black knee-high boots.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 11, 2024
The color palette is mostly dark neutral, punctuated by colorful hats in aubergine or turquoise that elongate the form.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 22, 2024
He loved, instead, in-between, indeterminate hues: mauve, lilac, acid green and aubergine.
From Washington Post • Mar. 16, 2022
We all go back to eating aubergine casserole.
From "Ask the Passengers" by A.S. King
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.
