zucchini

American  

[zoo-kee-nee] / zuˈki ni /

noun

• zucchini,
  plural
• zucchinis
  plural

1. a variety of summer squash that is shaped like a cucumber and that has a smooth, dark-green skin.

2. the plant bearing this fruit.

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zucchini British  

/ tsuːˈkiːnɪ, zuː- /

noun

1. Also called (esp in Britain): courgette.  a small variety of vegetable marrow, cooked and eaten as a vegetable

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Usage

This vegetable (actually an immature fruit), borrowed from Italy along with its name, has, in its native Italian language, both a feminine form ( zucchina, with the plural zucchine ) and a masculine form ( zucchino, with the plural zucchini ). It is the latter plural that has made it into English. And as with other Italian foods that enrich our vocabulary along with our diets, we have imported a plural form—only to treat it as a singular noun. Spaghetti, ravioli, tortellini, and fettuccini grace not only our dinner tables but our dictionaries, which show that English speakers normally treat these terms as mass (that is, uncountable) nouns rather than as plurals. We say, “This spaghetti is delicious” or “I'd like some fettuccini,” since we are not referring to individual pieces but to a cooked or cookable dish of pasta. Jokingly, we occasionally acknowledge Italian grammar, as by claiming to pick up one thin “spaghetto” or a puffy “raviolo.” Zucchini, however, is different. Because of the vegetable's size, it is a count noun when whole; you can bring home six zucchini or zucchinis from the supermarket. But when it is sliced, cooked, and served, you once again have a dish of food that is talked about as a mass noun. And in that form, some zucchini is absolutely delicious.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• zucchini
  plural
• zucchinis
  plural

Etymology

Origin of zucchini

1925–30, < Italian, plural of zucchino, equivalent to zucc ( a ) gourd ( see zucchetto) + -ino diminutive suffix

Explanation

Zucchini is a long, green squash, a vegetable that's especially common in backyard gardens during the summer months. In England, it's more common to call zucchinis "courgettes." Officially, zucchini (like all squash) is considered a fruit, a large berry that grows as part of a flower. However, cooks generally treat it as a vegetable, preparing it in savory recipes ranging from baked zucchini with cheese and tomato sauce to pasta-like zucchini "noodles" to sauteed zucchini with butter and garlic. You can also shred zucchini and bake it into sweet breads and cakes. The word comes from the Italian zucca, "gourd or squash."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

zucchini zucchinis

But luckily, we’re not deep frying in this recipe—only an inch or so of oil is needed to turn lightly battered, julienned zucchini into crispy fries.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

One individual also came dressed as a courgette, a reference to Internet Girl's so-weird-it-almost-works refrain, "Eat zucchini".

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026

Working in batches, use your hands to dip a handful of zucchini matchsticks in the batter, then place them in a heated pan with the oil.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

A slice of zucchini bread was not just zucchini bread.

From Salon ● Aug. 31, 2026

Dad is grinning as he mixes the zucchini, tomatoes, and yellow squash together.

From "Muffled" by Jennifer Gennari

There are pottery wheels and a derby car racetrack for tiny cars carved from zucchinis.

From Slate ● May 8, 2026

On the runway, tomatoes joined eggplants, zucchinis, hot peppers and Farfalle pasta as big, bold prints in Dolce & Gabbana’s Spring 2012 Ready-to-Wear Collection.

From Salon ● Jun. 29, 2025

One of them is Maher, a 35-year-old farmer of tomatoes and zucchinis whose land was in the nearby Yarmouk Valley.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2025

One of the rare party switchers was Paul Amalong, a security guard who was leaving a farmer’s market in Latrobe with a bag of zucchinis.

From New York Times ● Oct. 8, 2022

Mom insists that we all have a piece of her freshly baked courgette bread, which makes me want to scream, They’re called zucchinis, okay?

From "Ask the Passengers" by A.S. King