cauliflower
Americannoun
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cauliflowers
plural
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a form of cultivated plant, Brassica oleracea botrytis, of the mustard family, whose inflorescence forms a compact, usually whitish head.
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this head, used as a vegetable.
noun
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a variety of cabbage, Brassica oleracea botrytis, having a large edible head of crowded white flowers on a very short thick stem
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the flower head of this plant, used as a vegetable
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of cauliflower
1590–1600; < Latin cauli ( s ) cole + flower; replacing coleflorie < Italian ca ( v ) olfiore, equivalent to cavol cole + fiore < Latin flōri- (stem of flōs ) flower
Explanation
Cauliflower is a distinctive white vegetable that's related to broccoli and cabbage. Many Indian dishes include cauliflower. A head of cauliflower is made up of many dense, white, flower-like clusters, and occasionally cauliflower comes in varieties that are slightly purple or green. Cauliflower can be eaten raw, steamed, roasted, grilled or sauteed. In the 1590s, it was originally called cole florye, from the Italian cavoli fiori, "flowered cabbage."
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.
See Examples For:
Erewhon stores have become tourist destinations, with people posting videos on social media of themselves visiting and trying foods such as raw vegan cinnamon rolls and buffalo cauliflower.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
Sumac guinea foul with za’atar beetroot and jeweled cauliflower rice.
From Slate ● Aug. 15, 2026
That short supply means retailers may soon start stocking "sun-tanned" cauliflower because "their biggest nightmare is empty shelves", she said.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
This was led by higher prices for fresh fruit and fresh vegetables in May, with households paying more for items such as berries, broccoli, cauliflower and tomatoes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
When it’s my turn, I fill my plate with rice, shami kabob, lentils, and butter chicken, skipping the cauliflower and salad, and pile the naan high before carefully carrying it downstairs to the basement.
From "Amina's Voice" by Hena Khan
"Six and a half thousand cauliflowers here, which have just basically cooked," he explained.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
There are shortages of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, salad bags, broccoli and cauliflowers.
From BBC ● Feb. 26, 2023
Chicks ran through small farms flush with cauliflowers and tomatoes.
From New York Times ● Apr. 10, 2022
"But, escarole, fresh herbs, cucumbers, green beans, and cauliflowers are often the most expensive. So, try not to buy them as much as possible."
From Fox News ● Oct. 27, 2021
‘We don’t have to eat snozzcumbers. In the fields around our village there are all sorts of lovely vegetables like cauliflowers and carrots. Why don’t you get some of those next time you go visiting?’
From "The BFG" by Roald Dahl
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.
