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; broach ) + -olo diminutive suffix

Example Sentences

Another example could be giving a child that is refusing to eat vegetables the option between broccoli or sprouts.

From BBC

"I'd want to know that if we planted 100 bed feet of broccoli, what did we actually produce?" she says.

From BBC

Her menu option: A piece of chicken, a piece of broccoli, a corn tortilla and one other item.

From The Wall Street Journal

Add in a cup of frozen broccoli and a glass of milk, and the total is around $2.39.

From The Wall Street Journal

For lunch, she recommends I have green salad, beans or lentils, broccoli, asparagus or beetroot, and grilled chicken without skin.

From BBC

Related Words

• sauerkraut