eggplant

American  

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

noun

eggplants plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• eggplants
  plural

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

Explanation

An eggplant is a large, purple-skinned vegetable that is especially delicious breaded, fried, and covered with cheese and red sauce. Eggplants are one of those foods that we think of as a vegetables but are officially considered fruits. While an eggplant isn't particularly nutrient-dense, its spongy texture has an amazing ability to absorb flavors and oils, making it fun to cook with. Your experience with eggplants may include the Mediterranean dip baba ghanoush or cheesy eggplant parmesan sandwiches. The name comes from less-common white varieties that resemble eggs.

Example Sentences

One woman in her 60s, Mary Kay Smith, was wearing an eggplant costume.

From Slate • May 4, 2026

For about $20, you could enjoy a baked Idaho potato heaped with teriyaki beef at the taxidermy-adorned Pioneer Saloon; or green curry chicken and Taiwanese-style eggplant at Rickshaw.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 3, 2025

Highlights included moussaka, a layered eggplant dish with well-seasoned meat and creamy béchamel, and pastitsio, a Greek-style lasagna that did not disappoint.

From Salon • Sep. 3, 2025

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

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 14, 2025

My mother rides our donkey, and my brothers, Isaac and Jacob, carry our provisions—bread and cheese, eggplant empanadillas, roasted eggs, olives cured in salt, dried figs, almonds, and walnuts—and our few belongings.

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar