parsnip
Americannoun
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a plant, Pastinaca sativa, cultivated varieties of which have a large, whitish, edible root.
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the root of this plant.
noun
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a strong-scented umbelliferous plant, Pastinaca sativa, cultivated for its long whitish root
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the root of this plant, eaten as a vegetable
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any of several similar plants, esp the cow parsnip
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.
Among the grant recipients are the Parsnip Ship, which produces radio plays; Firelight Media, which supports nonfiction filmmakers of color; and the Noel Pointer Foundation, which teaches string instruments in public schools.
From New York Times • Dec. 15, 2022
Parsnip soup, served with parsnip oven fries and tamarind chutney.
From Salon • Oct. 13, 2021
Sharp Knife starts bantering with Mrs. Fork— Quips and metallic comments re Parsnip, The fossil he’s been trying to butter up.
From Slate • Nov. 20, 2012
A suspected Trotskyist interrupted discussion of the "great poets" Parsnip and Pimpernell, who were safe in the U.S.:
From Time Magazine Archive
“That’s the Parsnip now, no doubt,” said Alex, quietly, to his young charges.
From The Young Alaskans on the Trail by Hough, Emerson
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.
