cauliflower
Americannoun
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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:
"They like green beans but not by themselves, so we just fry them in a little bit of butter and dip in breadcrumbs. The same with cauliflower and lots of other vegetables," she says.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
The food is more lounge-like with build-your-own bowls, buffalo cauliflower, salad fixin’s and a couple of desserts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026
But if you simply must have your cauliflower florets, Markon notes that recent and upcoming rainy conditions may also lead to black mold, mildew and off-color in fresh supplies.
From Salon ● May 27, 2026
The idea grew as organically as the purple cauliflower at Erewhon.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 25, 2026
To me it looks like a big piece of cauliflower with the top hacked off.
From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina
These are farm labourers who help to harvest lettuces, cauliflowers, spinach and beans.
From BBC ● Jan. 16, 2025
Products including citrus fruits, potatoes, cauliflowers, and carrots will all have the labels removed.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 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
“No one’s ever said they’ve got smoke-tainted cauliflowers or oranges,” Wilkinson says.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 10, 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.
