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

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Etymology

Origin of shallot

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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

shallot shallots

How about red onion, cherry tomatoes or that half a shallot that’s threatening to turn into a plant in the back of your fridge?

From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026

Add fennel, shallot, a touch of honey, bright lemon and a blend of tarragon and fennel fronds, and it becomes the perfect Greek-Italian mash-up to welcome spring.

From Salon ● Apr. 12, 2025

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

From Washington Times ● Dec. 22, 2023

The salmon is drizzled with dry vermouth, then roasts in a foil-wrapped baking dish with shallot, carrot, celery and thyme.

From Washington Times ● Dec. 21, 2023

Oil Sauce.—Pound in a mortar one shallot or two button onions, the yolks of two hard boiled eggs, a saltspoonful of herbs, a tablespoonful of vinegar, and enough oil to thicken it, about one gill.

From The Cooking Manual of Practical Directions for Economical Every-Day Cookery by Juliet Corson

For me, that has meant chicken with scallions and frozen ginger cubes; shaved corn with poblano and onion; butternut squash with thyme and shallots; grated tomato with basil and garlic.

From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026

Similarly decadent but less expensive are the two mini-hot dogs with caviar and pickled shallots sold for $39 at the Bar Room at the Modern, inside the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

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

In March, Etienne turns sixty and Madame Manec stews little clams—palourd.es—with shallots and serves them alongside mushrooms and quarters of two hard-boiled eggs: the only two eggs, she reports, she could find in the city.

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

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