eggplant

American  

[eg-plant, -plahnt] / ˈɛgˌplænt, -ˌplɑnt /

noun

1. a plant, Solanum melongena esculentum, of the nightshade family, cultivated for its edible, dark-purple or occasionally white or yellow fruit.

2. the fruit of this plant used as a table vegetable.

3. a blackish purple color; aubergine.

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eggplant British  

/ ˈɛɡˌplɑːnt /

noun

1. a tropical Old World solanaceous plant, Solanum melongena, widely cultivated for its egg-shaped typically dark purple fruit

2. the fruit of this plant, which is cooked and eaten as a vegetable

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Etymology

Origin of eggplant

First recorded in 1760–70; egg ¹ + plant

Compare meaning

How does eggplant compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• aubergine vs. eggplant

Example Sentences

The garden Chong had helped George plant after his father’s death — bell peppers, tomatoes, strawberries and eggplants — was repeatedly destroyed.

From Los Angeles Times

Always wanting something new, we tried chanakhi, a hearty stew with eggplant, potatoes, peppers, and lamb.

From Salon

Somewhere between the eggplants and the onions, she disappeared behind a door and emerged with a perfect ruby orb.

From Salon

“It’s All Good” recommends cutting coffee, sugar, wheat, eggs, meat, shellfish, potatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers, eggplant and corn.

From Salon

There was always a steady supply of bitter melon, eggplant, gai lan and bok choy.

From Los Angeles Times