celery

American  

[sel-uh-ree, sel-ree] / ˈsɛl ə ri, ˈsɛl ri /

noun

1. a plant, Apium graveolens, of the parsley family, whose leafstalks are eaten raw or cooked.

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celery British  

/ ˈsɛlərɪ /

noun

1. an umbelliferous Eurasian plant, Apium graveolens dulce, whose blanched leafstalks are used in salads or cooked as a vegetable See also celeriac

2. a related and similar plant, Apium graveolens

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Etymology

Origin of celery

1655–65; < French céleri < Italian seleri, plural of selero ≪ Greek sélinon parsley

Explanation

Celery is a very crunchy, succulent vegetable that grows in stalks. You can cook celery, often with more flavorful vegetables, or eat it raw. Celery is a very mild-flavored vegetable that adds crunch to a salad or a subtle taste to sauteed onions and garlic. Your grandmother might love to serve "ants on a log," or peanut butter in the hollow of a celery stalk, with raisins as the "ants." Depending on your feelings about celery, you might feel slightly less enthusiastic.

Example Sentences

Workers at the three-million-square-foot New York market, the largest food-distribution center in the country, unload the celery and drive it into the city, paying for even more diesel along the way.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026

By the time the celery sleeve arrives at the corner store, it is around 40 cents pricier than it would be otherwise.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026

It’s a defense of winter salads and includes several recipes, like one for a celery and radish salad with fig vinaigrette and another for a citrus salad with green olives, burrata and honey-roasted pistachios.

From Salon • Feb. 7, 2026

But despite his condition, he grows celery with the help of his 62-year-old mother.

From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026

Then she added the ham hocks to a big pot of boiling water spiced with garlic, celery, and onion.

From "March Forward, Girl" by Melba Pattillo Beals