beetroot meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

beetroot

noun

UK /ˈbiːt.ɹuːt/ · US /ˈbit.ɹut/

Etymology From beet + root.

Australia, India, New Zealand, UK A normally deep-red-colored root vegetable usually cooked or pickled before eating.

Usually The edible part of the root of a beet plant, raw or prepared.

Derived terms: beetrootish, beetroot juice, beetroot red, beetrooty, red as a beetroot

verb

Etymology From beet + root.

Informal To turn a bright red or purple color.

He straightened up as a spring, beetrooted to the root of his pale hair, and answered wildly, "Ki-Ki-Kan!" I backed prudently towards the door, still keeping that indulgent but firm expression no one sees on the face of warders in lunatic asylums.1919, The Sketch: A Journal of Art and Actuality, volume 108, page 356:
Harmon's face beetrooted. He strode from the office, stared at the cell block, and swore with artistry.2014, Arthur W. Upfield, Bony and the Mouse: