artichoke

American  

[ahr-ti-chohk] / ˈɑr tɪˌtʃoʊk /

noun

1. a tall, thistlelike composite plant, Cynara scolymus, native to the Mediterranean region, of which the numerous scalelike bracts and receptacle of the immature flower head are eaten as a vegetable.

2. the large, rounded, closed flower head itself.

3. Jerusalem artichoke.

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artichoke British  

/ ˈɑːtɪˌtʃəʊk /

noun

1. Also called: globe artichoke.  a thistle-like Eurasian plant, Cynara scolymus, cultivated for its large edible flower head containing many fleshy scalelike bracts: family Asteraceae (composites)

2. the unopened flower head of this plant, which can be cooked and eaten

3. See Jerusalem artichoke

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Etymology

Origin of artichoke

1525–35; < Upper Italian articiocco, variant (by dissimilation) of arciciocco, arcicioffo < *arcarcioffo < Old Spanish alcarchofa < dialectal Arabic al-kharshūf the artichoke

Example Sentences

My most recent one is a tortino di carciofi — a spiral omelet with an artichoke in the middle that I eat at Trattoria Sostanza in Florence.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2024

"We're now in a situation where we have a full-on drought," says Xavier Oliva, an artichoke farmer who owns land just outside the city.

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2024

The salad called Verdant ate the same way, arguably too salty with Castelvetrano olives, artichoke and ranch dressing.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 15, 2024

An especially popular dip, which many go bonkers for, is the classic spinach and artichoke.

From Salon • Dec. 9, 2023

So far they had described an artichoke, a butterfly press, a sneaker, a ring of keys, a potted hibiscus, a carved Christmas angel, and a sandwich.

From "Hole in My Life" by Jack Gantos