broccoli

[ brok-uh-lee, brok-lee ]

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.

broccoli

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of broccoli¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of broccoli¹

C17: from Italian, plural of broccolo a little sprout, from brocco sprout, spike; see brocade

Example Sentences

It is unclear whether customers would relish the prospect of cod and broccoli on the menu.

From BBC

I can get root vegetables, I can get broccoli, cauliflower, whatever we have.

From Los Angeles Times

I also really love the “Panko Honey Mustard Chicken with Frico Broccoli” — it’s a sheet pan meal where you’re cooking this crispy, cheesy broccoli and this crunchy honey mustard chicken all on one sheet pan.

From Salon

Mr Barnes wasn't the only one who left with an unusual signed item - the shape of them included lettuce, broccoli, bread loaves and a vinyl record, all signed with Sheeran's special pen.

From BBC

To wash leafy green vegetables – such as lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, kale or cabbage – separate into leaves or florets and individually rinse under the tap, rubbing with your hands for up to a minute.

From Salon

Related Words

• sauerkraut

About This Word

What else does broccoli mean?

Content warning: this article references illicit drugs.

When not referring to the actual vegetable, broccoli is slang for “marijuana.”

Where does broccoli come from?

The slang broccoli, meaning “marijuana,” is credited to the “Father of Slang” rapper E-40. On the music and lyrics website Genius, E-40 included a verified annotation on the page for his 1996 “Practice Lookin’ Hard.” According to him, he invented broccoli in 1993:

“I started calling medicinal [marijuana] ‘broccoli’ because it’s green and bushy. I was looking at some medical back in 1993 with my producer Studio Ton and we was like, ‘Man, look at it—it looks exactly like broccoli.’ I call it ‘lettuce’ too.”

E-40 also released a 1998 song simply titled “Broccoli” that made the word’s sub-meaning even more obvious. In the 2010s, other rappers helped popularize the slang, including Kodak Black, Lil Yachty, and D.R.A.M.

How is broccoli used in real life?

Broccoli (the slang and substance) is very popular in hip-hop. Several dozen songs use broccoli in their title and many, many more use it in the lyrics.

I'm a healthy kid I smoke broccoli

— Lil pump (@lilpump) October 13, 2016

From hip-hop, broccoli has spread as a more mainstream slang term for “marijuana,” sometimes alongside the broccoli emoji, 🥦, on social media.

Your first look at "Broccoli," the magazine for women who love weed https://t.co/NEcDHDoHv6 pic.twitter.com/PwQLuhnChT

— VICE Life (@ViceLife) November 13, 2017

I daydreamed about broccoli today, not weed like actual broccoli

— #1 loser (@mustygrrl) November 19, 2018

Lungs on broccoli 🍃⛽️

— Trey 🏁 (@HussleMan_Trey) December 6, 2018

More examples of broccoli:

“On the page, marijuana is advertised as ‘broccoli’ and LSD as ‘light salad dressing’, while ‘capsicum’ is used to describe MDMA capsules and ‘coconuts’ is code for cocaine.”
—Max Margan & Daniel Piotrowski, Daily Mail, April 2018

Note

This content is not meant to be a formal definition of this term. Rather, it is an informal summary that seeks to provide supplemental information and context important to know or keep in mind about the term’s history, meaning, and usage.