garlic

American  

[gahr-lik] / ˈgɑr lɪk /

noun

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

• garlicked adjective
• garlicky adjective

Etymology

Origin of garlic

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

Example Sentences

"It's valak butter," he says, using the Persian word for wild garlic, which thrives in the foothills of the snow-capped Alborz mountains to the north.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

Frozen garlic, however, stays good for a significant amount of time — anywhere between a few months to a year, Matijevich says.

From Salon • Apr. 19, 2026

You can even use pre-peeled garlic, a staple at many restaurants, to cut down on extra prep time.

From Salon • Apr. 19, 2026

Perhaps the biggest downside of garlic is the prep work: peeling and mincing individual cloves can be a nuisance even for the everyday home cook.

From Salon • Apr. 19, 2026

Mom returns with huge bowls of steaming white rice and platters of lemon chicken, sweet-and-sour pork, pepper steak, General Tso’s chicken, and the house special: Mandarin Garden Chicken—fried nuggets in a sweet garlic sauce.

From "Free Lunch" by Rex Ogle