onion
Listen:Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
onion/ˈʌnjən/
▶noun
- 1 an edible bulb used as a vegetable, having a pungent taste and smell and composed of several concentric layers.
- 2 the plant that produces the onion, with spherical heads of greenish-white flowers. [Allium cepa.]
– phrases
know one's onions informal be very knowledgeable.
know one's onions informal be very knowledgeable.
– derivatives
oniony adjective.
oniony adjective.
– origin ME: from OFr. oignon, based on L. unio(n-), denoting a kind of onion.
'onion' also found in these Oxford entries:
allium
- bulb
- bulbil
- chipolata
- chives
- cipolin
- dopiaza
- garlic
- green onion
- Imam Bayildi
- leek
- lyonnaise
- moules marinière
- onion dome
- onion set
- onion-skin paper
- pearl onion
- pease pudding
- salsa verde
- scallion
- scilla
- shallot
- spaghetti Bolognese
- Spanish onion
- spring onion
- tarka dhal
- tunic
- Welsh onion
