rutabaga

[ roo-tuh-bey-guh, roo-tuh-bey- ]

noun

1. a brassicaceous plant, Brassica napobrassica, having a yellow- or white-fleshed, edible tuber.
2. the edible tuber, a variety of turnip.

rutabaga

/ ˌruːtəˈbeɪɡə /

noun

1. a Eurasian plant, Brassica napus (or B. napobrassica ), cultivated for its bulbous edible root, which is used as a vegetable and as cattle fodder: family Brassicaceae (crucifers)
2. the root of this plant

Word History and Origins

Origin of rutabaga¹

1790–1800, Americanism; < Swedish (dial.) rotabagge

Word History and Origins

Origin of rutabaga¹

C18: from Swedish dialect rotabagge , literally: root bag

Example Sentences

The scientists gave the elephants small cubes of a vegetable called a rutabaga.

From NewsForKids.net

Her latest work is entitled “Misunderstood Vegetables,” subtitled “How to Fall in Love with Sunchokes, Rutabaga, Eggplant, and More,” and it really is a book about love and understanding.

From Seattle Times

I'm partial to celeriac, rutabaga, turnip, radish and the like.

From Salon

Second place receives this “Rutabaga Ginsburg” T-shirt, discovered by Loser Craig Dykstra at a Goodwill.

From Washington Post

“The rutabaga of thirty-six is six.”

From Literature