Celeriacs

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of root vegetable known for its knobby, bulbous shape and celery-like flavor, commonly used in cooking or eaten raw; a cultivar of celery grown primarily for its swollen, edible root; an ingredient often incorporated in soups, salads, and purees for its distinctive taste
2. A knobby underground vegetable related to celery, valued for its edible, aromatic root; a member of the celery family cultivated for its large, bulbous root rather than stalks; frequently prepared by roasting, boiling, or raw consumption in various dishes
3. A root vegetable characterized by a rough exterior and celery-flavored flesh, often utilized in culinary applications; a specific celery variety grown for its edible root underground; commonly used in traditional European recipes as a flavorful vegetable base or salad ingredient

Etymology: "Celeriacs" is the plural of "celeriac", a root vegetable that is essentially celery grown for its swollen base rather than its stalks. The name is a plain compound: "celery" with the suffix "-ac" attached. That suffix, borrowed from French, appears in other English words for plants and foods, and here it marks the root as a distinct variety of the celery family. The word thus describes its own plant at a glance: it is celery, but a different kind of it.

Synonyms: celery roots, root celery