zucchini

American  

[zoo-kee-nee] / zuˈki ni /

noun

plural

zucchini, zucchinis

1. a variety of summer squash that is shaped like a cucumber and that has a smooth, dark-green skin.

2. the plant bearing this fruit.

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zucchini British  

/ tsuːˈkiːnɪ, zuː- /

noun

1. Also called (esp in Britain): courgette.  a small variety of vegetable marrow, cooked and eaten as a vegetable

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Usage

This vegetable (actually an immature fruit), borrowed from Italy along with its name, has, in its native Italian language, both a feminine form ( zucchina, with the plural zucchine ) and a masculine form ( zucchino, with the plural zucchini ). It is the latter plural that has made it into English. And as with other Italian foods that enrich our vocabulary along with our diets, we have imported a plural form—only to treat it as a singular noun. Spaghetti, ravioli, tortellini, and fettuccini grace not only our dinner tables but our dictionaries, which show that English speakers normally treat these terms as mass (that is, uncountable) nouns rather than as plurals. We say, “This spaghetti is delicious” or “I'd like some fettuccini,” since we are not referring to individual pieces but to a cooked or cookable dish of pasta. Jokingly, we occasionally acknowledge Italian grammar, as by claiming to pick up one thin “spaghetto” or a puffy “raviolo.” Zucchini, however, is different. Because of the vegetable's size, it is a count noun when whole; you can bring home six zucchini or zucchinis from the supermarket. But when it is sliced, cooked, and served, you once again have a dish of food that is talked about as a mass noun. And in that form, some zucchini is absolutely delicious.

Etymology

Origin of zucchini

1925–30, < Italian, plural of zucchino, equivalent to zucc ( a ) gourd ( see zucchetto) + -ino diminutive suffix

Explanation

Zucchini is a long, green squash, a vegetable that's especially common in backyard gardens during the summer months. In England, it's more common to call zucchinis "courgettes." Officially, zucchini (like all squash) is considered a fruit, a large berry that grows as part of a flower. However, cooks generally treat it as a vegetable, preparing it in savory recipes ranging from baked zucchini with cheese and tomato sauce to pasta-like zucchini "noodles" to sauteed zucchini with butter and garlic. You can also shred zucchini and bake it into sweet breads and cakes. The word comes from the Italian zucca, "gourd or squash."

Example Sentences

More recently, Lake, who grows vegetables such as asparagus, tomatoes and zucchini, as well as pastured meat, has been using software and an app from a company called Tend.

From BBC • Jan. 19, 2026

“It would be chicken and zucchini or squash,” said former IUP punter Brett Ullman.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026

Plants in the gourd family, including pumpkins, melons, cucumbers, and zucchini, are known for accumulating high levels of pollutants in their fruit.

From Science Daily • Oct. 30, 2025

Just this week, a self-proclaimed zucchini hater sought out recipes that mask zucchini’s “unappealing” texture and “watery” taste.

From Salon • Jun. 14, 2025

There was some concern because things were being planted late in the season, but most of the vegetables had gotten a head start in a greenhouse: string beans, corn, tomatoes, squash, zucchini, cabbage, potatoes, broccoli.

From "The Dead and the Gone" by Susan Beth Pfeffer