ARTICHOKE

artichoke, globe artichoke

(noun) a thistlelike flower head with edible fleshy leaves and heart

artichoke, globe artichoke, artichoke plant, Cynara scolymus

(noun) Mediterranean thistlelike plant widely cultivated for its large edible flower head

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

artichoke (plural artichokes)

A plant related to the thistle with enlarged flower heads eaten as a vegetable while immature, Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus.

A dull green colour, like that of an artichoke.

Synonyms

• globe artichoke (edible variety)

• cardoon (wild variety)

• Cynara scolymus (the former taxonomic name)

• Cynara cardunculus (the currently accepted taxonomic name, which also includes cardoons)

Source: Wiktionary

Ar"ti*choke, n. Etym: [It. articioc, perh. corrupted fr. the same word as carciofo; cf. older spellings archiciocco, archicioffo, carciocco, and Sp. alcachofa, Pg. alcachofra; prob. fr. Ar. al- harshaf, al-kharsh.] (Bot.)

1. The Cynara scolymus, a plant somewhat resembling a thistle, with a dilated, imbricated, and prickly involucre. The head (to which the name is also applied) is composed of numerous oval scales, inclosing the florets, sitting on a broad receptacle, which, with the fleshy base of the scales, is much esteemed as an article of food.

2. See Jerusalem artichoke.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition