asparagus

American  

[uh-spar-uh-guhs] / əˈspær ə gəs /

noun

1. any plant of the genus Asparagus, of the lily family, especially A. officianalis, cultivated for its edible shoots.

2. the shoots, eaten as a vegetable.

---

asparagus British  

/ əˈspærəɡəs /

noun

1. any Eurasian liliaceous plant of the genus Asparagus, esp the widely cultivated A. officinalis, having small scaly or needle-like leaves

2. the succulent young shoots of A. officinalis, which may be cooked and eaten

3. a fernlike species of asparagus, A. plumosus, native to southern Africa

---

Other Word Forms

• asparaginous adjective

Etymology

Origin of asparagus

before 1000; < Latin < Greek asp ( h ) áragos; replacing Old English sparagi (< Medieval Latin ) and later sperage, sparrowgrass

Explanation

Asparagus is a bright green vegetable that is tender and sweet when it's cooked. Asparagus grows straight up out of the ground in a spear shape. The plant that grows familiar asparagus spears is actually a relative of the lily — it's considered to be a flowering plant, and a perennial, or a plant that returns every year. Asparagus has been eaten for centuries, and is even pictured in some ancient Egyptian art. The word is also asparagus in Latin, from the Greek asparagos, possibly from a Proto-Indo-European word meaning "to spring up."

Example Sentences

Late spring gets the romance: tender asparagus, first peas, market bouquets staged like still lifes.

From Salon • Mar. 1, 2026

And for the evening meal, it's salmon, asparagus and brown rice.

From BBC • Jan. 12, 2026

Although plant metabolite databases are far less complete than those for animals, the researchers identified compounds linked to regional plants such as aloe and asparagus.

From Science Daily • Jan. 3, 2026

This morning, I had five egg whites and then some baked vegetables like broccoli and asparagus and zucchini.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 13, 2025

My jet-setting Argentine asparagus tasted like damp cardboard.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan