US /ˈbɹɑ.kə.li/ UK /ˈbɹɒ.kə.li/
noun name Freq #13659

Meanings

  1. 1
    noun

    A green vegetable with a thick stalk and tight clusters of small flower buds

    I steamed some broccoli to go with the chicken.

Thesaurus

Word family
Derived forms broccoflowerbroccolilikebroccolinibroccoloidsuperbroccoli
Related forms brocade

Etymology

1699, Italian broccoli, plural of broccolo (“cabbage sprout, head”), diminutive of brocco (“shoot, sprout”) (which is also the origin of brocade), from Latin broccus (“pointed, sharp, projecting; buck-toothed”), possibly of Gaulish origin, related to Proto-Celtic *brokkos (“badger”) or Proto-Celtic *brozdos (“tip, point”) (compare Scottish Gaelic brog (“pointed instrument, awl”), Welsh procio (“thrust, poke”), Old English brord (“point, spike”)). More at brochure, brad.

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