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ASPARAGUS
asparagus
(noun) edible young shoots of the asparagus plant
asparagus, edible asparagus, Asparagus officinales
(noun) plant whose succulent young shoots are cooked and eaten as a vegetable
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
asparagus (plural asparagus or asparaguses or asparagi)
Any of various perennial plants of the genus Asparagus having leaflike stems, scalelike leaves, and small flowers.
The young shoots of Asparagus officinalis eaten as a vegetable.
A green colour, like that of an asparagus.
Synonyms
• sparrowgrass
• sparage, sparagus, sparagrass
Source: Wiktionary
As*par"a*gus, n. Etym: [L., fr. Gr. prong, sprout, Pers. asparag, Lith. spurgas sprout, Skr. sphurj to swell. Perh. the Greek borrowed from the Persian. Cf. Sparrowgrass.]
1. (Bot.)
Definition: A genus of perennial plants belonging to the natural order Liliaceæ, and having erect much branched stems, and very slender branchlets which are sometimes mistaken for leaves. Asparagus racemosus is a shrubby climbing plant with fragrant flowers. Specifically: The Asparagus officinalis, a species cultivated in gardens.
2. The young and tender shoots of A. officinalis, which form a valuable and well-known article of food.
Note: This word was formerly pronounced sparrowgrass; but this pronunciation is now confined exclusively to uneducated people. Asparagus beetle (Zoöl.), a small beetle (Crioceris asparagi) injurious to asparagus.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
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Word of the Day
19 April 2025
CATCH
(verb) grasp with the mind or develop an understanding of; “did you catch that allusion?”; “We caught something of his theory in the lecture”; “don’t catch your meaning”; “did you get it?”; “She didn’t get the joke”; “I just don’t get him”
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