parsnip
Americannoun
-
parsnips
plural
-
a plant, Pastinaca sativa, cultivated varieties of which have a large, whitish, edible root.
-
the root of this plant.
noun
-
a strong-scented umbelliferous plant, Pastinaca sativa, cultivated for its long whitish root
-
the root of this plant, eaten as a vegetable
-
any of several similar plants, esp the cow parsnip
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of parsnip
1350–1400; earlier pars ( e ) nep, pass ( e ) nep, Middle English pas ( t ) nep ( e ) < Latin past ( ināca ) parsnip (derivative of pastinum forked dibble) + Middle English nep turnip; see neep
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
However, the humble but golden potato and parsnip have gone down in price, along with - if you have any room - Christmas pudding and mince pies.
From BBC ● Dec. 18, 2025
Fire is bad for all animals, but the first plants that come back, benefiting from openings in the tree canopy, are really good food for bears: huckleberry, cow parsnip and horsetail, to name a few.
From Seattle Times ● May 6, 2024
There were oysters, salmon with Hollandaise sauce, beef, squab, duck, roast chicken, green peas, parsnip purée and Victoria pudding.
From New York Times ● Nov. 9, 2023
Enjoy with parsnip or plantain chips — for an escape from standard potato chips — or go buck wild with pita chips or tortilla chips.
From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2022
Roasted over the fire, they have the sharp sweet taste of a parsnip.
From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins
"He seems to like going into the trap and getting all the parsnips," said lead ranger Helen McDonald.
From BBC ● Mar. 12, 2026
They demolished plates of dried beef, hoecakes, pickled eggs, roast venison and fried parsnips.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 20, 2026
It said appetite for traditional Christmas dinner items was particularly strong in 2023, with volumes of parsnips, sprouts and potatoes up, along with festive meats including pigs in blankets, sausages, hams and turkeys.
From BBC ● Jan. 3, 2024
Sauté the onion, celery, parsnips, and leek until they are soft, 4 to 5 minutes.
From Salon ● Apr. 28, 2023
A roast beef bigger than a horse, set on a giant platter that took up the entire front room, surrounded by steaming potatoes and parsnips, and loaves of fresh bread.
From "Fever 1793" by Laurie Halse Anderson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
