cauliflower

[ kaw-luh-flou-er, -lee-, kol-uh-, kol-ee- ]

/ ˈkɔ ləˌflaʊ ər, -li-, ˈkɒl ə-, ˈkɒl i- /

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noun

a form of cultivated plant, Brassica oleracea botrytis, of the mustard family, whose inflorescence forms a compact, usually whitish head.Compare broccoli.

this head, used as a vegetable.

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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

Words nearby cauliflower

cauldron, caulescent, Caulfield, caulicle, cauliflory, cauliflower, cauliflower cheese, cauliflower ear, cauliflowerette, cauliflower fungus, cauline

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use cauliflower in a sentence

This salad, which uses roasted cauliflower surrounded by crunchy, bright ingredients, is a perfect example of that.
These 5 recipes featuring leftover roasted vegetables are proof you should always make extra|Kari Sonde|February 8, 2021|Washington Post
Break the cauliflower apart, and cut away and discard any stems.
This cauliflower hater likes the vegetable one way only: Pickled|Jim Webster|February 3, 2021|Washington Post
Root vegetables — such as rutabagas, parsnips and turnips — are the first to come to mind, but from cauliflower to spring peas, there’s a wide range of vegetables primed for mashing.
Potatoes aren’t the only vegetables you should be mashing|Aaron Hutcherson|January 20, 2021|Washington Post
Although it is worth cooking the cauliflower just to make this recipe, I can’t think of a roasted vegetable that wouldn’t work here instead, so feel free to substitute whatever you have on hand.
A crunchy, flavorful salad makes great use of cauliflower or any leftover roasted vegetables|Ellie Krieger|January 14, 2021|Washington Post

In another three months, the same scene would unfold in the cauliflower field where Alcántar now stood, surrounded by tens of thousands of two- and three-leaf seedlings.
How technology might finally start telling farmers things they didn’t already know|Katie McLean|December 18, 2020|MIT Technology Review
The entrée was smoked flat-iron beef with caramelized mint fennel, kabocha pumpkin, yellow cauliflower, and baby bok choy.
My Night at the Golden Globe Awards|Ramin Setoodeh|January 14, 2013|DAILY BEAST
In a large bowl, toss together cauliflower and bread crumbs and serve on a warmed platter.
Sam Sifton’s Thanksgiving Recipes|Sam Sifton|November 20, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Break cauliflower into florets and toss in a bowl with sage, lemon zest, sugar, and olive oil.
Sam Sifton’s Thanksgiving Recipes|Sam Sifton|November 20, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Roasted Cauliflower with Anchovy Bread Crumbs It is important to note that this dish does not have an anchovy flavor.
Sam Sifton’s Thanksgiving Recipes|Sam Sifton|November 20, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Cauliflower is delicious, potatoes can be good, and I've been thinking about experimenting with bok choy stems.
Your Friday Gadget Chef Recipe: Two Day Soup|Megan McArdle|November 9, 2012|DAILY BEAST
There has never been such an abundance of cauliflower and peas, such rows of bean-poles, such salad-beds.
Maezli|Johanna Spyri
Small pieces of cauliflower and crotons of fried bread should garnish this dish.
Dressed Game and Poultry la Mode|Harriet A. de Salis
The red cabbage and the cauliflower are the altered descendants of a widely different sea-side plant.
A Treatise on Sheep:|Ambrose Blacklock
Peel onions, add cucumbers, cauliflower separated into flowerlets and sliced peppers.
The New Dr. Price Cookbook|Anonymous
He did not give them lentils to eat, but he gave them cauliflower au gratin and brown bread and cheese, and to drink, water.
The Angel of Pain|E. F. Benson

British Dictionary definitions for cauliflower

cauliflower

/ (ˈkɒlɪˌflaʊə) /

noun

a variety of cabbage, Brassica oleracea botrytis, having a large edible head of crowded white flowers on a very short thick stem

the flower head of this plant, used as a vegetable

Word Origin for cauliflower

C16: from Italian caoli fiori, literally: cabbage flowers, from cavolo cabbage (from Latin caulis) + fiore flower (from Latin flōs)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012