shallot

American  

[shal-uht, shuh-lot] / ˈʃæl ət, ʃəˈlɒt /

noun

shallots plural

1. a cultivar of the onion, Allium cepa aggregatum, having a divided bulb used for flavoring in cooking.

2. the bulb of onion cultivar Allium cepa aggregatum, used in cooking.

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shallot British  

/ ʃəˈlɒt /

noun

1. Also called: scallion.  an alliaceous plant, Allium ascalonicum, cultivated for its edible bulb

2. the bulb of this plant, which divides into small sections and is used in cooking for flavouring and as a vegetable

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• shallots
  plural

Etymology

Origin of shallot

First recorded in 1655–65; shortening of earlier eschalot, from French échalote, diminutive of Middle French eschaloigne scallion

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

shallot shallots

Sometime in the past few years, though, I opted to add a sliced onion, a sliced shallot and some garlic to the dish.

From Salon ● Jun. 3, 2024

Add the shallot and cook, stirring, until light golden brown, about 2 minutes.

From Washington Times ● Dec. 22, 2023

Meanwhile, in a bowl toss the carrots, celery, shallot, thyme, dill sprigs and 1 teaspoon salt.

From Washington Times ● Dec. 21, 2023

We peel pieces of the dried meat like string cheese, pulling away long tiles and dipping them in a sauce made with rice vinegar, shallot and sharp black peppercorns from Cambodia.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 25, 2023

Sprinkle with chopped shallot, cover with buttered paper, and cook in a moderate oven for fifteen minutes.

From How to Cook Fish by Reed, Myrtle

Indonesians eat a hot sauce known as sambal made of chilli, garlic, shallots and aromatics with just about every meal.

From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026

There’s a joke in the special that references a purple toothbrush, but, and then there’s also a reference to my aura based on the fact that I’m cooking with shallots.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2026

A squeeze of lemon sharpens, a handful of dill or parsley brightens, fried shallots or breadcrumbs add texture, a drizzle of oil or aioli brings richness.

From Salon ● Apr. 3, 2026

Back home, after the train ride, I washed and dried the mushrooms and sent them sizzling into a pan with shallots, garlic, salt, pepper and an indecent amount of smoked paprika.

From Salon ● Dec. 28, 2025

Neumann Two pulls the suspenders off the second dead man and takes some braided shallots from the lintel and bundles them against his chest and leaves.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr