onion-y

A form of oniony — Resembling an onion or onions, especially in terms of smell.

Meanings

adjectiveonion-y (comparative more onion-y, superlative most onion-y)

comparative more onion-y · superlative most onion-y

  1. alternativeAlternative form of oniony.

    Pickled onions pack all the zing of a raw onion, but without the onion-y aftertaste.

    1998 September 30, Sally Patterson, “Eternally versatile onions”, in The Berkshire Eagle, Pittsfield, Mass., page D2
    2 more examples

    Speaking of onions, reminds me that perhaps Lily cooks them differently from the way you girls do. The deacon says he thinks her way is admirable because it leaves no onion-y taste in his mouth afterward. She slices and boils them in milk and water—about equal quantities—until they are quite soft, then pours it off and seasons with salt and pepper and adds a little cream and butter. The advantage lies in the boiling and extracting the strong flavor,

    1876 January, Pipsissiway Potts [pseudonym; Rosella Rice], “Home-Life and Character. Pottsville Papers. […] No. 1.”, in Arthur’s Illustrated Home Magazine, volume XLIV, number 1, Philadelphia, Pa.: T[imothy] S[hay] Arthur & Son, page 48, column 1

    Very often you will notice a slightly onion-y smell about the resting burrow of a male platypus.

    1934, F[rancesca] R[aimonde] La Monte, M[icaela] H. Welch, Vanishing Wilderness, New York, N.Y.: Liveright Publishing Company, page 225
Cite this entry
APA

onion-y. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/onion-y

MLA

“onion-y.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/onion-y. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “onion-y,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/onion-y.

Source: onion-y on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.