endive

American  

[en-dahyv, ahn-deev, ahn-deev] / ˈɛn daɪv, ˈɑn div, ɑ̃ˈdiv /

noun

• endives
  plural

1. a composite plant, Cichorium endivia, having a rosette of often curly-edged leaves used in salads.

2. Also called French endive, Belgian endive, witloof. a young chicory plant, deprived of light to form a narrow head of whitish leaves that are eaten as a cooked vegetable or used raw in salads.

3. Furniture. an ornamental motif having the form of an arrangement of acanthus or endive leaves.

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endive British  

/ ˈɛndaɪv /

noun

1. a plant, Cichorium endivia, cultivated for its crisp curly leaves, which are used in salads: family Asteraceae (composites) Compare chicory

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• endives
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of endive

1325–75; Middle English < Middle French ≪ Medieval Greek entýbia, plural of entýbion, derivative of earlier éntybon < Latin intubum, intibum, earlier intubus chicory, endive, perhaps < Semitic

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Compare meaning

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

• escarole vs. endive
• chicory vs. endive

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

endive endives

Then, the table is blanketed in banchan, side dishes meant to complement and elevate the meal, as well as rice, perilla, lettuce, and endive, to wrap morsels of grilled meat.

From Salon ● Oct. 31, 2025

Any combination of bitter greens, such as frisée, endive, radicchio, escarole or arugula, works well in this recipe.

From Washington Times ● Dec. 22, 2023

Beets, spinach, and endive died where they grew, with telltale dried-up, silver-metallic leaves.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2023

Scoops of the creamy, crunchy bistro staple, elevated with smoked trout in the julienne mix, showed up in a trio of chive-flecked Belgian endive “boats,” a clever mode of transport.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 21, 2023

Not only did invading endive and rats beset them, but native species, too, burst and blasted, freed from constraints by the disappearance of Native Americans.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

One private, non-Indigo garage has even been turned into a farm for mushrooms and endives.

From Slate ● Mar. 30, 2023

Emmanuel Lefebvre produces thousands of tonnes of endives on his farm in northern France annually, but this year he may abandon his crop because of the crippling energy costs required to freeze the harvested bulbs.

From Reuters ● Sep. 22, 2022

She might be tempted with fideua — Spanish macaroni baked with braised endives, piquillo pepper coulis, asparagus, pea vines and Comté cheese gratinee, while he could lavish attention on lamb albondigas with almonds and sherry.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 6, 2013

Steak salad with almost no steak: Halve endives or radicchio; brush with oil and grill.

From New York Times ● Jun. 30, 2010

The food consisted of bread, lentils, haricots, potatoes, carrots, chestnuts, endives, apples, oranges, preserves, sugar, starch, butter, chocolate and wine.

From The Chemistry of Food and Nutrition by A. W. Duncan

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