Onions
- Charles Tal·but [tawl-buh t, tal-] /ˈtɔl bət, ˈtæl-/, 1873–1965, English lexicographer and philologist.
onion
- a plant, Allium cepa, of the amaryllis family, having an edible, succulent, pungent bulb.
- any of certain similar plants.
- the bulb of the onion plant.
- the flavor or odor of this bulb.
- Slang. a person: He's a tough onion.
- containing or cooked with onions: onion soup.
- of, relating to, or resembling an onion.
- know one's onions, Slang. to know one's subject or business thoroughly; be capable or proficient.
Origin of onion
Examples from the Web for onions
Contemporary Examples
On busier roads, elderly, scarved women sat by piles of potatoes and onions hoping forlornly for a sale.
The salmon is presented atop a mound of sautéed vegetables: mushrooms, peppers, squash, onions, leafy greens, and herbs.
Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions—on a sesame seed bun.
Have We Reached ‘Peak Burger’? The Crazy Fetishization of Our Most Basic Comfort FoodBrandon Presser
July 31, 2014
He uses a spatula to flatten the onions and the meat together, creating a broad circular patty with an uneven edge.
In El Reno, when you order a hamburger, an onion-fried burger is assumed, unless you instruct the cook to leave the onions out.
Historical Examples
Cook the potatoes and onions in the water until they are soft.
Woman's Institute Library of Cookery, Vol. 3Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences
After the onions have been peeled, they may be cooked in a variety of ways.
Woman's Institute Library of Cookery, Vol. 2Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences
When they are about half done put the onions and parsley into the pan.
Directions for Cookery, in its Various BranchesEliza Leslie
Have ready-boiled some carrots, turnips, potatoes and onions.
Directions for Cookery, in its Various BranchesEliza Leslie
In the mean time, peel and boil in a sauce-pan a dozen onions.
Directions for Cookery, in its Various BranchesEliza Leslie
Onions
- Charles Talbut. 1873–1965, English lexicographer; an editor of the Oxford English Dictionary
onion
- 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
Word Origin
Word Origin and History for onions
onion
n.
early 12c., from Anglo-French union, Old French oignon "onion" (formerly also oingnon), and directly from Latin unionem (nominative unio), colloquial rustic Roman for "a kind of onion," also "pearl" (via notion of a string of onions), literally "one, unity;" sense connection is the successive layers of an onion, in contrast with garlic or cloves.
Old English had ynne (in ynne-leac), from the same Latin source, which also produced Irish inniun, Welsh wynwyn and similar words in Germanic. In Dutch, the ending in -n was mistaken for a plural inflection and new singular ui formed. The usual Indo-European name is represented by Greek kromion, Irish crem, Welsh craf, Old English hramsa, Lithuanian kremuse.
The usual Latin word was cepa, a loan from an unknown language; it is the source of Old French cive, Old English cipe, and, via Late Latin diminutive cepulla, Italian cipolla, Spanish cebolla, Polish cebula. German Zwiebel also is from this source, but altered by folk etymology in Old High German (zwibolla) from words for "two" and "ball." Onion ring is attested from 1952.
Onion dome attested from 1956; onion grass from 1883; onion skin as a type of paper from 1892. Onions, the surname, is attested from mid-12c. (Ennian), from Old Welsh Enniaun, ultimately from Latin Annianus, which was associated with Welsh einion "anvil."
Idioms and Phrases with onions
onion
see know one's stuff (onions).