aubergine

American  

[oh-ber-zheen, -jeen, oh-ber-, oh-ber-zheen, -jeen, oh-ber-] / ˈoʊ bərˌʒin, -ˌdʒin, ˈoʊ bɛr-, ˌoʊ bərˈʒin, -ˈdʒin, ˌoʊ bɛr- /

noun

1. Chiefly British. eggplant.

2. a dark purplish color.

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aubergine British  

/ ˈəʊbəˌʒiːn /

noun

1. US, Canadian, and Australian name: eggplant.  a tropical Old World solanaceous plant, Solanum melongena, widely cultivated for its egg-shaped typically dark purple fruit

2. the fruit of this plant, which is cooked and eaten as a vegetable

3. 1. a dark purple colour

   2. ( as adjective )

      an aubergine dress

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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

Compare meaning

How does aubergine compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• aubergine vs. eggplant

Example Sentences

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

Instead of white, though, he painted the mantel a dark aubergine and coated the room’s walls and trim in the same color so nothing stood out.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 29, 2022

They ate hummus, falafel or fried aubergine instead of meat.

From BBC • Aug. 16, 2022

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