beet

American  

[beet] / bit /

noun

1. any of various biennial plants belonging to the genus Beta, of the amaranth family, especially B. vulgaris, having a fleshy red or white root.

2. the edible root of such a plant.

3. the leaves of such a plant, served as a salad or cooked vegetable.

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beet British  

/ biːt /

noun

1. any chenopodiaceous plant of the genus Beta , esp the Eurasian species B. vulgaris , widely cultivated in such varieties as the sugar beet, mangelwurzel, beetroot, and spinach beet See also chard

2. the leaves of any of several varieties of this plant, which are cooked and eaten as a vegetable

3. the US name for beetroot

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Other Word Forms

• beetlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of beet

First recorded before 1000; Middle English bete, Old English bēte, from Latin bēta

Example Sentences

No. The real worst was when beets touched something.

From Literature

Food companies started replacing it with cane or beet sugar more than a decade ago.

From The Wall Street Journal

He owns a large farming operation that grows sugar beets, alfalfa and melons and is one of the largest operators in the area.

From Los Angeles Times

In the U.S., at one time the world’s leader in the making of maple syrup, production plummeted in the 20th century as the country’s population became more urban, and cane and beet sugar less expensive.

From The Wall Street Journal

Abatti owns a large farming operation in the Imperial Valley, growing crops including sugar beets, alfalfa and melons.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• chard