broccoli

American  

[brok-uh-lee, brok-lee] / ˈbrɒk ə li, ˈbrɒk li /

noun

1. a form of a cultivated cruciferous plant, Brassica oleracea botrytis, whose leafy stalks and clusters of usually green buds are eaten as a vegetable.

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broccoli British  

/ ˈbrɒkəlɪ /

noun

1. a cultivated variety of cabbage, Brassica oleracea italica , having branched greenish flower heads

2. the flower head of this plant, eaten as a vegetable before the buds have opened

3. a variety of this plant that does not form a head, whose stalks are eaten as a vegetable

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Usage

What else does broccoli mean? Content warning: this article references illicit drugs. When not referring to the actual vegetable, broccoli is slang for "marijuana."

Etymology

Origin of broccoli

1690–1700; < Italian, plural of broccolo, equivalent to brocc ( o ) sprout (< Late Latin; see broach) + -olo diminutive suffix

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

broccoli

I now know that the broccoli florets in my hand have a documented connection to Taylor Farms.

From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026

So she started incorporating the way she ate in Leiden in the U.S., such as eating less fast food, smaller quantities and changing her grocery shopping habits, like buying whole rather than pre-chopped broccoli.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026

It's the start of the summer holidays and you've already had five battles with your child to get them to eat a bit of broccoli.

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026

Benedette Hardwick, the owner of the Red B Restaurant in Idabel, Okla., said the restaurant had temporarily stopped serving things like kale, parsley, green onion, raw broccoli, spinach and cilantro.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 18, 2026

Their picture had been in the Logan County Gazette a bunch of times, and Sheed always looked like he was trying to suck broccoli from his teeth.

From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles

Related Words

• sauerkraut