chervil

C3H4E1R1V4I1L1
UK, US/ˈt͡ʃɜː(ɹ)vɪl/UK, US/ˈt͡ʃɜː(ɹ)vəl/

noun

A leafy herb, Anthriscus cerefolium, resembling parsley.

Similar
garden chervilFrench parsleygourmet's parsleybeaked parsleyAnthriscus cereifolium
UncommonScrabble 15

Meanings

nounchervil (countable and uncountable, plural chervils)

plural chervils

  1. countableA leafy herb, Anthriscus cerefolium, resembling parsley.

    The life of one plant would be affected by another. Rue was definitely hostile to basil, rosemary to hyssop, but coriander, dill and chervil lived on the friendliest of terms[.]

    1940, Rosetta E. Clarkson, Green Enchantments: The Magic Spell of Gardens, The Macmillan Company, page 253
  2. uncountableLeaves from the plant, used as an herb in cooking, which have a mild flavor of anise.

    Cook fresh chervil leaves very little, if at all. They are best when added to a dish after it has been cooked, or toward the end of the cooking time.

    2017, Alice Arndt, Seasoning Savvy: How to Cook with Herbs, Spices, and Other Flavorings, CRC Press, →ISBN
    1 more example

    No herb, except perhaps tarragon, is quite so French as chervil, an association that is not surprising for a nation known for its celebration of fine food and the subtle use of herbs.

    2016, Susan Belsinger, Arthur O. Tucker, The Culinary Herbal, Timber Press, →ISBN, page 57

    Synonyms: garden chervil, French parsley, gourmet's parsley

Synonyms & antonyms

nounLeaves from the plant, used as an herb in cooking, which have a mild flavor of anise.

Similar

More synonyms by meaning

nounaromatic annual Old World herb cultivated for its finely divided and often curly leaves for use especially in soups and salads

Similar
beaked parsleyAnthriscus cereifolium
Broader
herbherbaceous plant

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekχαιρέφυλλον
  2. Latincaerefolium
  3. Anglo-Normanchervele
  4. Old Englishcerfille
  5. Middle Englishchervell
  6. Englishchervil

From Middle English chervell, from Old English cerfille, from Anglo-Norman chervele (compare Jèrriais chèrfi), from Latin caerefolium, from Ancient Greek χαιρέφυλλον (khairéphullon).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek χαιρέφυλλον, σκάνδιξ
  • χαιρέφυλλον (khairéphullon)herb
  • σκάνδιξ (skándix)herb
  • ἄνθρυσκον (ánthruskon)herb
  • χαιρέφυλλον (khairéphullon)plant
Arabic مَقْدُونِس إِفْرَنْجِيّ
  • مَقْدُونِس إِفْرَنْجِيّ (maqdūnis ʔifranjiyy)herb
Bulgarian див кереви́з, кервел
  • див кереви́з (div kerevíz)herb
  • кервел (kervel)herb
  • шушан (šušan)herb
  • див кереви́з (div kerevíz)plant
  • балдараноли́стен азмацуг (baldaranolísten azmacug)plant
  • кервел (kervel)plant
  • шушан (šušan)plant
Catalan cerfull, cerfull
  • cerfullherb
  • cerfullplant
Chinese Cantonese 細葉芹 /细叶芹
  • 細葉芹 /细叶芹herb
Czech kerblík
  • kerblíkherb
Danish kørvel
  • kørvelherb
Dutch kervel
  • kervelherb
Esperanto cerefolio
  • cerefolioplant
Estonian harakputk, harakputk
  • harakputkherb
  • harakputkplant
Finnish kirveli, maustekirveli
  • kirveliherb
  • maustekirveliplant
  • kirveliplant
French cerfeuil, cerfeuil
  • cerfeuilherb
  • cerfeuilplant
German Kerbel, Kerbel
  • Kerbelherb
  • Kerbelplant
Greek χαιρέφυλλο, σκαντζίκι
  • χαιρέφυλλο (chairéfyllo)herb
  • σκαντζίκι (skantzíki)herb
  • ανθρίσκος (anthrískos)herb
  • μυρώνι (myróni)herb
  • φραγκομαϊντανός (fragkomaïntanós)herb
Hungarian turbolya, turbolya
  • turbolyaherb
  • turbolyaplant
Icelandic kerfill
  • kerfillherb
Irish costóg, camán gall
  • costógherb
  • camán gallherb
Italian cerfoglio, cerfoglio
  • cerfoglioherb
  • cerfoglioplant
Japanese チャービル, チャービル
  • チャービル (chābiru)herb
  • チャービル (chābiru)plant
Latin caerefolium, scandix
  • caerefoliumherb
  • scandixherb
  • caerefoliumplant
Latvian kārvele, kārvele
  • kārveleherb
  • kārveleplant
Malay cervil
  • cervilherb
Norwegian kjørvel
  • kjørvelplant
Norwegian Bokmål kjørvel
  • kjørvelherb
Polish trybula, trybula ogrodowa
  • trybulaherb
  • trybula ogrodowaplant
  • trybulaplant
Portuguese cerefolho, cerefólio
  • cerefolhoherb
  • cerefólioherb
  • cerefólioplant
Romanian hasmațuchi, hasmațuchi
  • hasmațuchiherb
  • hasmațuchiplant
Russian керве́ль
  • керве́ль (kervélʹ)herb
Slovak trebuľka
  • trebuľkaherb
Spanish perifollo, cerefolio
  • perifolloherb
  • cerefolioherb
  • perifolioherb
  • perifolloplant
Swedish körvel, körvel
  • körvelherb
  • körvelplant
Turkish frenk maydanozu, frenk maydanozu
  • frenk maydanozuherb
  • frenk maydanozuplant

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

chervil. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chervil

MLA

“chervil.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chervil. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “chervil,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chervil.

Source: chervil on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.