endive

plural endives · alternative obsolete endyve

1. countableuncountableA leafy salad vegetable, Cichorium endivia, which is often confused with common chicory (Cichorium intybus).

   Take the three heads of endive out of the water, drain them, and leave the largest whole.

   1805, William Augustus Henderson, The Housekeeper's Instructor, Or, Universal Family Cook, page 110

   4 more examples

   When all this is ready, take some endive and Dutch lettuce, some chervil and celery, wash and drain them very well, cut them small, put them into a saucepan, and pour some of the broth upon them […]

   1787, Charlotte Mason, The Lady's Assistant for Regulating and Supplying the Table, page 192

   Broad leaved, green curled or white curled, the endive plants are good; the green sorts, on account of their coolness and their plentiful salts, are esteemed for the salad bowl, and the white-curled sorts are liked for soups, stews and as boiled vegetables.

   1915 August 28, Marion Harris Neil, “When Lettus is Scarce”, in The Country Gentleman, volume 80, page 1379

   Endive, like a number of similar plants, is both esculent and reputed to have some aphrodisiac property.

   1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 83

   Endive and escarole are the same vegetable, but endive has leaves that are cut and curled, while escarole has smooth, broad leaves.

   2001, Clifford A. Wright, Mediterranean Vegetables, page 146