Rhubarbs

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of vegetable with large leaves and thick, tart stalks often used in cooking and desserts
2. This plant is known for its edible, sour red or green stalks, commonly found in pies and jams
3. A perennial plant characterized by its thick stems, which have a tart flavor and are utilized in various culinary dishes

Etymology: Rhubarb was originally a plant, and the theatre story is the more famous one. Around 1852, the company at London's Princess's Theatre, under the actor Charles Kean, reportedly had its actors repeat the word "rhubarb" to mimic the murmur of an indistinct crowd, chosen because it lacks harsh consonants and clear vowels. The baseball sense of an argument or muddle on the field came later, popularized by the commentator Red Barber, who said he had picked up the usage from early radio dramas. The plant name is older and travelled a long way. It came into English from Middle English "rubarbe", via Anglo-Norman and French, and ultimately from Late Latin forms that trace back to Greek "rhêon barbarikón", meaning "foreign rhubarb". The "barbarikón" part is the same root that gives English "barbaric", reflecting the view of a root imported from beyond the Greek world. The plural "rhubarbs" is simply the countable form, used when referring to several plants or several stalks.