fennel meaning: definition, etymology

fennel

noun

/ˈfɛnəl/

Etymology From the Middle English fenel, from the late Old English finuðl, finule (weak feminine forms); fenol, finul (masculine forms), from Proto-West Germanic *fenukl, from the Vulgar Latin *fēnuclum, fēnoclum, from Late Latin fēnuculum, from the Classical Latin faeniculum, a diminutive form of faenum (“hay”); compare the Italian finocchio, the Occitan fenolh, the French fenouil, and the Spanish hinojo. Doublet of finocchio and finook.

Usually A plant, Foeniculum vulgare, of the parsley family, which has a sweet, anise-like flavor.

Cooking, Food, Lifestyle Usually The bulb, leaves, or stalks of the plant, eaten as a vegetable.

Cooking, Food, Lifestyle Usually The seeds of the fennel plant used as a spice in cooking.

Synonyms: sweet anise
Derived terms: bronze fennel, common fennel, dogfennel, dog fennel (Anthemis cotula, Eupatorium capillifolium, etc, fennelflower, fennel-flower, Florence fennel, giant fennel, hog fennel, hog’s fennel, meridian fennel, sea fennel, sweet fennel, water fennel, wild fennel