Chervil

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈt͡ʃɜː(ɹ)vɪl/

Definitions

1. A delicate herb with feathery leaves commonly used in French cuisine to flavor soups, sauces, and egg dishes
2. A fragrant herb featuring finely divided, lacy leaves, recognized for imparting a subtle anise-like flavor to a variety of culinary preparations
3. A mild-flavored herb characterized by its lace-like foliage, widely utilized in cooking for enhancing the taste of dishes such as salads and soups

Etymology: Chervil's name points back to Greek. The ancient Greek "khairephullon" combined "khairein," to rejoice, with "phullon," leaf, so the plant was named for its cheerful foliage. The Romans borrowed it as "caerefolium," and the word then passed into Old English as "cerfille," a form that was later reshaped through Anglo-Norman "chervele," which still survives in the Jersey French "chèrfi." Along the way the word lost its original sense of "rejoicing leaf" and kept only the plant itself, a herb with delicate, fern-like leaves that has been used in cooking for centuries. The English form that survives today is the product of many centuries of mouths and spellings, yet it still carries the Greek notion of leaves that bring pleasure.

Synonyms: herb, plant, vegetable, spice, seasoning