rutabaga

American  

[roo-tuh-bey-guh, roo-tuh-bey-] / ˌru təˈbeɪ gə, ˈru təˌbeɪ- /

noun

1. a brassicaceous plant, Brassica napobrassica, having a yellow- or white-fleshed, edible tuber.

2. the edible tuber, a variety of turnip.

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rutabaga British  

/ ˌruːtəˈbeɪɡə /

noun

1. a Eurasian plant, Brassica napus (or B. napobrassica ), cultivated for its bulbous edible root, which is used as a vegetable and as cattle fodder: family Brassicaceae (crucifers)

2. the root of this plant

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Etymology

Origin of rutabaga

1790–1800, < Swedish (dial.) rotabagge

Compare meaning

How does rutabaga compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• rutabaga vs. turnip

Example Sentences

The scientists gave the elephants small cubes of a vegetable called a rutabaga.

From NewsForKids.net • Jun. 20, 2024

With tender roasted rutabaga and crispy roasted shallot petals, not to mention the spicy, coconut milk-based broth and a big scoop of rice noodles, there's simply no need for anything non-vegan here.

From Salon • Jan. 7, 2022

Turkey is deboned and served as a ballotine alongside such accompaniments as rutabaga mash, roasted Brussels sprouts and pumpkin cheesecake.

From Washington Post • Nov. 9, 2021

“I like doing some season extension with row covers, and I’ve prepared my garden this year for fall harvests such as carrots, rutabaga, turnips and brassicas such as purple sprouting broccoli well into the winter.”

From Seattle Times • Sep. 8, 2021

I could see that Mrs. Odom’s rutabaga trick with Howard’s brother Cotton wasn’t working too good because there were lots of drawings with colored markers along the bottom of the walls.

From "Wish" by Barbara O'Connor