Broccolis

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of vegetable belonging to the cabbage family, known for its green flower heads and edible stalks
2. A nutrient-rich food often enjoyed steamed, roasted, or in salads due to its health benefits
3. This plant is often associated with a diet rich in vitamins and fiber, commonly used in various culinary dishes

Etymology: "Broccolis" is the plural of "broccoli," and the plural is the form that gives the game away. In Italian, "broccoli" is itself a plural, the plural of "broccolo," meaning a cabbage sprout or head. English borrowed it in the plural and then treated it as a singular, which is why the word now looks odd to some speakers when pluralised again. The root sense is sharp and pointed. "Broccolo" is a diminutive of "brocco," a shoot or sprout, and that word ultimately traces back to Latin "broccus," meaning pointed or projecting, sometimes used of buck teeth. The same stem produced "brocade," a fabric named for its raised, pointed figures, and English "brochure" and "brad" are distant relatives. A vegetable named for its shoots thus shares ancestry with a word for a sharp nail.

Synonyms: broccoli