turnip

American  

[tur-nip] / ˈtɜr nɪp /

noun

1. the thick, fleshy, edible root of either of two plants of the mustard family, the white-fleshed Brassica rapa rapifera or the yellow-fleshed rutabaga.

2. the plant itself.

3. the root of this plant used as a vegetable.

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turnip British  

/ ˈtɜːnɪp /

noun

1. a widely cultivated plant, Brassica rapa , of the Mediterranean region, with a large yellow or white edible root: family Brassicaceae (crucifers)

2. the root of this plant, which is eaten as a vegetable

3. any of several similar or related plants

4. another name for kohlrabi

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Other Word Forms

• turniplike adjective

Etymology

Origin of turnip

1525–35; earlier turnep(e) , equivalent to turn (with reference to its neatly rounded shape) + nepe neep

Compare meaning

How does turnip compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• rutabaga vs. turnip

Example Sentences

We make a salad out of turnip sprouts.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2023

So what took the turnip off "good men's tables"? Historians Frances Dolan and Mark Overton point to animal feed and crop rotations.

From Salon • Mar. 30, 2023

Mom’s Kitchen, located in the once-safe neighborhood where Norris grew up, is a casual place serving baked chicken, turnip greens and candied sweet potatoes.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 26, 2023

"Now they're just squeezing us so hard, like blood out of a turnip."

From BBC • Dec. 2, 2022

Next to the turnip was the chicken I had watched her pluck that morning.

From "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine