broccoli

American  

[brok-uh-lee, brok-lee] / ˈbrɒk ə li, ˈbrɒk li /

noun

1. a form of a cultivated cruciferous plant, Brassica oleracea botrytis, whose leafy stalks and clusters of usually green buds are eaten as a vegetable.

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broccoli British  

/ ˈbrɒkəlɪ /

noun

1. a cultivated variety of cabbage, Brassica oleracea italica , having branched greenish flower heads

2. the flower head of this plant, eaten as a vegetable before the buds have opened

3. a variety of this plant that does not form a head, whose stalks are eaten as a vegetable

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Usage

What else does broccoli mean? Content warning: this article references illicit drugs.When not referring to the actual vegetable, broccoli is slang for "marijuana."

Etymology

Origin of broccoli

1690–1700; < Italian, plural of broccolo, equivalent to brocc ( o ) sprout (< Late Latin; broach ) + -olo diminutive suffix

Example Sentences

They do all the classics like beef with Chinese broccoli and Kung Pao shrimp, which have red Sichuan chiles that will make your mouth numb.

From Los Angeles Times

Rich dietary sources include eggs, poultry, fish, beans and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and brussels sprouts.

From Science Daily

Araceli, seen at 16, has planted lettuce, cauliflower and broccoli in the Santa Maria Valley.

From Los Angeles Times

He made the face of a child being made to eat his broccoli.

From BBC

Atlanta-based entrepreneur Tamara Lucas recently started her own garden in her backyard to keep a lid on rising costs, growing okra, kale and broccoli to help feed her two teenage boys.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• sauerkraut