spinach

American  

[spin-ich] / ˈspɪn ɪtʃ /

noun

1. a plant, Spinacia oleracea, cultivated for its edible, crinkly or flat leaves.

2. the leaves.

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spinach British  

/ -ɪtʃ, ˈspɪnɪdʒ /

noun

1. a chenopodiaceous annual plant, Spinacia oleracea, cultivated for its dark green edible leaves

2. the leaves of this plant, eaten as a vegetable

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Other Word Forms

• spinachlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of spinach

First recorded in 1400–50; Middle English spinache, spinage, spinarch, from Anglo-French spinache, from Old French espinache, espinage, espinoche, from Medieval Latin spinargium, spinachium, spinarchium, ultimately from Arabic isfānākh, isfināj, perhaps from Persian isfānāj, ispānāk, aspānāk

Explanation

Spinach is a leafy green edible plant. The most famous spinach eater is probably Popeye, the cartoon sailor who grows huge, strong arm muscles after eating it. There are many different ways to prepare spinach, from raw in a salad to sauteed with spices and cheese in the Indian dish saag paneer. If you don't pick a spinach plant's leaves, it sprouts white flowers and grows almost a foot tall. Spinach comes from the Old French espinache, with its Persian root, aspanakh — both also mean "spinach."

Example Sentences

It is naturally present in foods such as orange peppers, spinach, and kale.

From Science Daily • Apr. 10, 2026

It wiped out billions in agricultural crops, killing off whole fields of spinach in a half-day.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

My favorites: the spinach frittata and maple bacon.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

If you’re not in the mood for a hulking sirloin — and if just creamed spinach and a frosted martini feel like insufficient ballast — skip the burger.

From Salon • Mar. 11, 2026

She made a thin soup of spinach and onions and fed it to Granny a spoonful at a time.

From "The City of Ember" by Jeanne DuPrau

Related Words

• blue-green
• olive