Etymology

broccoli

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Today it means: A plant, Brassica oleracea var. italica, of the cabbage family, Brassicaceae; especially, the tree-shaped flower and stalk that are eaten as a vegetable. Full definition →

Italian broccoli ← Latin broccus ← Proto-Celtic *brokkos
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broccoli · noun, noun1

  1. Proto-Celtic · derived from*brozdos“tip, point”
  2. Proto-Celtic · derived from*brokkos“badger”
  3. Latin · derived frombroccus“pointed, sharp, projecting; buck-toothed”
  4. Italian · derived frombroccoli
  5. English todaybroccoli

First attested in 1699, Italian broccoli, plural of broccolo (“cabbage sprout, head”), diminutive of brocco (“shoot, sprout”) (which is also the origin of brocade), from Latin broccus (“pointed, sharp, projecting; buck-toothed”), possibly of Gaulish origin, related to Proto-Celtic *brokkos (“badger”) or Proto-Celtic *brozdos (“tip, point”) (compare Scottish Gaelic brog (“pointed instrument, awl”), Welsh procio (“thrust, poke”), Old English brord (“point, spike”)). More at brochure, brad.

Broccoli · proper noun2

  1. Italian · borrowed fromBroccoli
  2. English todayBroccoli

Borrowed from Italian Broccoli.

Words from the same roots

Latinbroccus all →

brochurebroach

Proto-Celtic*brokkos all →

brock

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.