fennel

American  

[fen-l] / ˈfɛn l /

noun

1. a plant, Foeniculum vulgare, of the parsley family, having feathery leaves and umbels of small, yellow flowers.

2. Also fennel seed the aromatic fruits of Foeniculum vulgare, used in cooking and medicine.

3. any of various plants more or less similar to Foeniculum vulgare, such as Ferula communis giant fennel, a tall, ornamental plant.

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fennel British  

/ ˈfɛnəl /

noun

1. a strong-smelling yellow-flowered umbelliferous plant, Foeniculum vulgare , whose seeds and feathery leaves are used to season and flavour food See also finocchio

2. another name for mayweed

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Etymology

Origin of fennel

First recorded before 900; Middle English fenel, Old English fenol, variant of finu ( g ) l from unattested Vulgar Latin fenuclum, for Latin fēniculum, faeniculum, equivalent to faeni- (combining form of faenum “hay”) + -culum -cle ¹

Example Sentences

I usually get a bunch of salads and the crab and fennel soup.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 23, 2026

Thin-sliced celery or carrots, fennel shaved translucent, a few slivers of red onion or scallions, even cucumbers if you’re craving something clean and cold.

From Salon • Dec. 16, 2025

The packaging for Molecule pills often lists "natural ingredients" such as dandelion root and fennel seed extract.

From BBC • Nov. 1, 2025

This one plays in high notes: the citrus lifts, the fennel gives a soft anise hum, and the sugar teases out the squash’s own mellow sweetness.

From Salon • Aug. 12, 2025

In the afternoon she made her own sausages, spiced with fennel, and hung them over the heating pipes in the basement.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

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