onion
[ uhn-yuh n ]
/ ˈʌn yən /
noun
adjective
containing or cooked with onions: onion soup.
of, relating to, or resembling an onion.
QUIZZES
CHALLENGE YOURSELF WITH THESE WORDS FROM "LITTLE WOMEN"
"Little Women" may be a classic, but that doesn't mean we all know the meanings of the vocab words from the book. Can you define these words correctly and make Jo proud?
Question 1 of 10
earnest
Idioms for onion
know one's onions, Slang. to know one's subject or business thoroughly; be capable or proficient.
Origin of onion
1325–75; Middle English onyon < Old French oignon < Latin ūniōn- (stem of ūniō) a unity, large pearl, onion; see union
OTHER WORDS FROM onion
on·ion·like, adjectiveon·ion·y, adjectiveWords nearby onion
ongoings, oni, onie, onigiri, oniomania, onion, onion dome, onion fly, onion rings, onion snow, onion weed
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
British Dictionary definitions for know one's onions
onion
/ (ˈʌnjən) /
noun
an alliaceous plant, Allium cepa, having greenish-white flowers: cultivated for its rounded edible bulb
the bulb of this plant, consisting of concentric layers of white succulent leaf bases with a pungent odour and taste
any of several related plants similar to A. cepa, such as A. fistulosum (Welsh onion)
know one's onions British slang to be fully acquainted with a subject
Derived forms of onion
oniony, adjectiveWord Origin for onion
C14: via Anglo-Norman from Old French oignon, from Latin unio onion, related to union
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Idioms and Phrases with know one's onions
onion
see know one's stuff (onions).
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.