fiddlehead

American  

[fid-l-hed] / ˈfɪd lˌhɛd /

noun

1. Nautical. a billethead having a form similar to the volute carved at the upper end of a violin.

2. the young, coiled frond of various species of ferns, eaten as a vegetable.

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fiddlehead British  

/ ˈfɪdəlˌhɛd /

noun

1. nautical an ornamental carving, in the shape of the scroll at the head end of a fiddle, fitted to the top of the stem or cutwater

2. the edible coiled tip of a young fern frond

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Etymology

Origin of fiddlehead

First recorded in 1790–1800; fiddle + head

Example Sentences

Only after Penelope had mastered saying “unfurled fern fronds,” tasted the fiddleheads Philippe, and admitted that they were beyond her wildest imaginings of deliciousness, did Miss Mortimer begin to answer her questions.

From Literature

Spring specialties: garlic scapes, pea shoots, ramps, fiddlehead ferns, English peas, fava beans.

From Salon

So it’s like: Push yourself a little bit, to sea urchin, to fiddleheads.

From Seattle Times

They are also great sauteed in a pan with fiddleheads, the unopened foliage of the ostrich fern, whose season is approaching.

From Seattle Times

Ms. Mori’s creations look like chimerical species — hybrids of barnacles and cumulus clouds, a baobab and a weeping willow, a waterlily and fiddlehead ferns, sea urchin spines and a swarm of starlings.

From New York Times