zucchini

American  

[zoo-kee-nee] / zuˈki ni /

noun

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

Inflected Forms

noun

• zucchinis
  plural
• zucchini
  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

Zucchini and summer squash are usually simply cooked – sauteed or steamed, sometimes fried, though they also can be stuffed and baked.

From Washington Times • Jul. 27, 2023

The debate is being followed closely from the north-eastern city of Udine by Stefano Zucchini and his husband Alberto.

From BBC • Mar. 17, 2023

Zucchini and corn are a nice combination for late summer >> though the same seasoning and preparation would work just as well with bell peppers, asparagus, onions or mushrooms.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 6, 2021

Then it’s back to the Village Center Green for music, games, food and an appearance by legendary children's entertainer the Great Zucchini.

From Washington Post • Jun. 30, 2021

I now grow five or six fully irrigated early hybrid plants like Seneca Zucchini too.

From Gardening Without Irrigation: or without much, anyway by Solomon, Steve