Garlic

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɡɑːlɪk/

Definitions

1. A pungent bulbous plant in the onion family, having a strong distinctive flavor used widely in cooking and believed to have medicinal properties
2. A strong-smelling bulbous plant from the lily family, often used in cooking for its distinctive flavor and also attributed with various health benefits
3. A bulbous plant related to leeks and onions, known for its potent aroma and flavor, commonly utilized in culinary practices and recognized for potential health-enhancing qualities

Etymology: Garlic is a compound of two Old English words: "gār", meaning spear, and "lēac", meaning leek. The name refers to the plant's long, sharp, tapering leaves, which were seen as spear-like. So the name describes the leaves rather than the pungent bulb that cooks prize today. The compound survives in closely related languages too. Scots has the same form, while Faroese and Icelandic use "geirleykur" and "geirlaukur", where "geir" is the Norse counterpart of the old spear word and "leykur" and "laukur" are their versions of leek. Across these languages, the plant was named for the same spear-like leaf.

Synonyms: allium, clove, bulb