parsnip

[ pahr-snip ]

/ ˈpɑr snɪp /

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noun

a plant, Pastinaca sativa, cultivated varieties of which have a large, whitish, edible root.

the root of this plant.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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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

Words nearby parsnip

pars intermedia, parsley, parsley family, parsley fern, parsley piert, parsnip, parson, parsonage, parson bird, Parsons, parson's nose

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use parsnip in a sentence

Three-pound tomatoes, 9-pound cucumbers, carrots over three feet long, parsnips over four feet long.
How a British Retiree Became the Twitter King of ‘Big Veg’ Gardening|Jenny G. Zhang|April 12, 2021|Eater
The other half of that mixture is whisked with olive oil and vinegar to make a sumptuous drizzle for the carrot and parsnip batons which are roasted on the sheet pan alongside the fish.
Horseradish and matzoh-crusted cod is an ideal sheet pan dinner to use up leftover Passover ingredients|Ellie Krieger|March 18, 2021|Washington Post
Braised short ribs come with escorts of parsnip puree and grilled carrots, their earthiness heightened with a drizzle of coffee oil.
Glover Park Grill woos its neighborhood with all-American cooking|Tom Sietsema|March 12, 2021|Washington Post
Maple Parsnip Cake With Maple Meringue Frosting This cake is full of fall ingredients, maple and parsnips.
4 Autumnal Desserts|Michel Richard|November 18, 2010|DAILY BEAST

Old Jerry was pure boiler plate; he could squeeze ten per cent interest out of a frozen parsnip.
A Hoosier Chronicle|Meredith Nicholson
Half an hour before dinner add a small onion, a sliced parsnip and carrot, a few bits of turnip, and a half-dozen dumplings.
The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 16, No. 97, November, 1865|Various
The Apios belongs to the family of Umbellifer, and is consequently allied to celery, parsnip, and carrot.
The Desert World|Arthur Mangin
Fusiform: Outline of a parsnip, narrow at either end, broadest below the surface (Fig. 151, k).
The Elements of Bacteriological Technique|John William Henry Eyre
Parsnip, Parsnep, prs′nip, n. an edible plant with a carrot-like root.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R)|Various

British Dictionary definitions for parsnip

parsnip

/ (ˈpɑːsnɪp) /

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

Word Origin for parsnip

C14: from Old French pasnaie, from Latin pastināca, from pastināre to dig, from pastinum two-pronged tool for digging; also influenced by Middle English nepe turnip

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012