pearl onion

American  

noun

1. a small white onion, often pickled and used as an appetizer or garnish.

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Etymology

Origin of pearl onion

First recorded in 1885–90

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pearl onion

In one, it sat on a tiny plate beside a chilled vermouth cocktail garnished with a pearl onion on a spear.

From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026

I tend to order tartare whenever I see it, and Redbird’s version stands out: served over a crisp potato tosti with caramelized onion crema, egg jam, pickled pearl onion, and shaved marrow.

From Salon ● Mar. 31, 2026

I think Raymond Chandler’s The Long Goodbye has a line like, “I belonged there like a pearl onion on a banana split.”

From Slate ● Mar. 23, 2021

Lovely little pickled things accompanied that chicken — green tomato wedges, mustard seeds and petals of pearl onion.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 19, 2017

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