garlic

American  

[gahr-lik] / ˈgɑr lɪk /

noun

• garlics
  plural

1. a hardy plant, Allium sativum, of the amaryllis family, whose strongly pungent bulb is used in cooking and medicine.

2. any of various plants of the genus Allium related to the familiar culinary garlic A. sativum.

3. the bulb of Allium sativum, consisting of smaller bulbs, or cloves, used in cooking, sometimes in the form of a powder, a paste, or minced pieces.

4. the flavor or smell of this bulb.

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adjective

1. cooked, flavored, or seasoned with garlic, the pungent bulb of the Allium sativum plant.

   garlic bread;

   garlic salt.

2. of or relating to garlic.

garlic British  

/ ˈɡɑːlɪk /

noun

1. a hardy widely cultivated Asian alliaceous plant, Allium sativum, having a stem bearing whitish flowers and bulbils

2. 1. the bulb of this plant, made up of small segments (cloves) that have a strong odour and pungent taste and are used in cooking

   2. ( as modifier )

      a garlic taste

3. any of various other plants of the genus Allium

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• garlicked
  adjective
• garlicky
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• garlics
  plural

Etymology

Origin of garlic

First recorded before 1000; Middle English garlec, Old English gārlēac ( gar “spear”, cognate with German Ger, + lēac leek )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

garlic garlics

Yet it was surprisingly complex: bright with lemon juice and fresh peel, nutty with almonds and Parmigiano Reggiano, savory with garlic and olive oil.

From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2026

For the home cooks: OXO is best known for revolutionizing the salad spinner, but it has also redesigned the garlic press, the can opener, the vegetable peeler … the list goes on.

From Slate ● Sep. 11, 2026

But if you’re a dipping sauce kind of person, mix the leftover egg yolks with 1 cup of oil, lemon juice, grated garlic and some salt and pepper to make an aioli.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

Many of her customers add sides of garlic shrimp or honey jerk chicken, with full-size protein sides costing between $7 and $10.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

The only good thing about this conversation is that Friday is pizza night and I get to eat slices of white pizza with broccoli and garlic and drink a birch beer while I listen.

From "Ask the Passengers" by A.S. King

Because grapes are also really sensitive to strong flavors, they should not be stored alongside onions, garlics and other bold tasting food items.

From Salon ● Jul. 1, 2022

Roses and carnations are mixed with more pungent garlics, cabbages and peppers; common wheat is intertwined with pumpkins and artichokes.

From Time Magazine Archive

They wore big wreaths of white garlics around their necks.

From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway

Around his neck and on his chest was a big wreath of twisted garlics.

From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway

They had hung a wreath of garlics around her neck.

From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway