zucchini

[zoo-kee-nee]

noun

plural

zucchini, zucchinis 

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.

zucchini

/ tsuːˈkiːnɪ, zuː- /

noun

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

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of zucchini¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of zucchini¹

Italian, pl of zucchino, literally: a little gourd, from zucca gourd; see _zucchetto

Example Sentences

Pumpkins, squash, zucchini, and other members of the gourd family have a surprising trait: they can take up pollutants from the soil and store them in their edible parts.

Read more on Science Daily

But I’ve also tried ones stuffed with spinach, onions and mushrooms or zucchini, red peppers, olives and goat cheese — two recipes courtesy of Reddit.

Read more on Salon

This morning, I had five egg whites and then some baked vegetables like broccoli and asparagus and zucchini.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Blanca Lucio likes to spend her mornings tending to her zucchinis, cucumbers, watermelons and traditional Mexican herbs at a small community garden near downtown Los Angeles.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

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.

Read more on Salon

When To Use

What is a zucchini?

A zucchini is a type of summer squash that usually resembles a smooth, long, dark-green cylinder. Both the squash and the plant it grows on are called a zucchini.Like other types of squash, zucchini grows in the ground from a vine-like plant that resembles a bush with thick leaves. Green zucchini look very similar to cucumbers, although zucchini may be yellow or have stripes.Both zucchini and zucchinis can be used as the plural of zucchini.In British English, this type of squash is called a courgette.Example: My aunt owns a farm where she grows zucchini.