spinach
Americannoun
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a plant, Spinacia oleracea, cultivated for its edible, crinkly or flat leaves.
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the leaves.
noun
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a chenopodiaceous annual plant, Spinacia oleracea, cultivated for its dark green edible leaves
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the leaves of this plant, eaten as a vegetable
Other Word Forms
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."
Vocabulary lists containing spinach
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Fire-roasted corn, peas and carrots, mixed vegetables, edamame, spinach and cubed butternut squash: These are all regulars in my freezer.
From Salon ● Nov. 5, 2026
The grill leans into comfort foods and Americana with crab cakes, spinach artichoke dip, a Lucas-favorite chopped salad, jumbo-prawn cocktails, mac and cheese, and pigs in a blanket.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
Nitrate is found naturally in many vegetables, especially beetroot and leafy greens such as spinach, rocket, and lettuce.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 24, 2026
A pile of particularly good-looking spinach caught my eye.
From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026
After the harrow, for the next two days came the Fitzgibbons themselves, all four of them with hoes and bags of seeds, planting lettuce, beans, spinach, potatoes, corn and mustard greens.
From "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH" by Robert C. O'Brien
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