cruciferous

American  

[kroo-sif-er-uhs] / kruˈsɪf ər əs /

adjective

1. bearing a cross.

2. Botany. belonging to the family Cruciferae (or Brassicaceae), the mustard family of plants; brassicaceous.

   Are you getting enough broccoli, cauliflower, and other cruciferous vegetables in your diet?

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cruciferous British  

/ kruːˈsɪfərəs /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or belonging to the plant family Cruciferae See crucifer

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Etymology

Origin of cruciferous

From Late Latin crucifer + -ous; cruciferous def. 1 was first recorded in 1650–60; cruciferous def. 2 in 1850–55; see origin at crucifer, -ous

Example Sentences

Cruciferous vegetables have been hit hard by supply disruptions, leading to widespread shortages, quality decline and, yes, higher costs.

From Salon • May 27, 2026

One of the roost useful, but not best known, of the Cruciferous wild plants which are specifics against Scrofula is our English Scurvy Grass.

From Herbal Simples Approved for Modern Uses of Cure by Fernie, William Thomas

You once told me that Cruciferous flowers were anomalous in alternation of parts, and had given rise to some theory of dedoublement.

From More Letters of Charles Darwin — Volume 2 by Darwin, Francis, Sir

Turnips and barley are cultivated here, and in these fields may be found a Cruciferous annual, and probably a small species of Lamium. 

From Journals of Travels in Assam, Burma, Bhootan, Afghanistan and the Neighbouring Countries by Griffith, William

Cruciferous, of four somewhat similar petals, spreading in the form of a cross.

From The Wild Flowers of California: Their Names, Haunts, and Habits by Parsons, Mary Elizabeth