Meanings
parsnip1
nounparsnip (plural parsnips)
plural parsnips
- A biennial plant, Pastinaca sativa, related to the carrot.
- The root of the parsnip, when used as a vegetable.
PARSNIP2
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna strong-scented plant cultivated for its edible root
Similar
Pastinaca sativa
Broader
herbherbaceous plant
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinpastināca“parsnip, carrot”
- Old Frenchpasnaie
- Middle Englishpassenep
- Englishparsnip
From 16th-century parsnepe, from Middle English passenep, a modification of Old French pasnaie by influence of Middle English nepe (“turnip”), from Latin pastināca (“parsnip, carrot”), from pastinum (“two-pronged fork”) as in pastināre (“to dig up the ground”).. The irregular intrusive r may be due to influence from parsley.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans witwortel, witwortel
- witwortelthe plant Pastinaca sativa
- witwortelthe edible root of Pastinaca sativa
Ancient Greek σίσαρον, ἐλαφόβοσκον
- σίσαρον (sísaron)the edible root of Pastinaca sativa
- ἐλαφόβοσκον (elaphóboskon)the edible root of Pastinaca sativa
Arabic جَزَر أَبْيَض, جَزَر أَبْيَض
- جَزَر أَبْيَض (jazar ʔabyaḍ)the plant Pastinaca sativa
- جَزَر أَبْيَض (jazar ʔabyaḍ)the edible root of Pastinaca sativa
Bengali পার্সনিপ
- পার্সনিপ (parśonip)the plant Pastinaca sativa
Bulgarian пащърна́к, пащърна́к
- пащърна́к (paštărnák)the plant Pastinaca sativa
- пащърна́к (paštărnák)the edible root of Pastinaca sativa
Catalan xirivia, xirivia
- xiriviathe plant Pastinaca sativa
- xiriviathe edible root of Pastinaca sativa
Chinese Cantonese 歐防風 /欧防风
- 歐防風 /欧防风 (au¹ fong⁴ fung¹)the plant Pastinaca sativa
Chinese Mandarin 歐防風 /欧防风, 歐防風 /欧防风
- 歐防風 /欧防风 (ōufángfēng)the plant Pastinaca sativa
- 歐防風 /欧防风 (ōufángfēng)the edible root of Pastinaca sativa
Czech pastinák, pastinák setý
- pastinákthe plant Pastinaca sativa
- pastinák setýthe plant Pastinaca sativa
- pastinákthe edible root of Pastinaca sativa
Danish pastinak
- pastinakthe plant Pastinaca sativa
Dutch pastinaak, pastinaak
- pastinaakthe plant Pastinaca sativa
- pastinaakthe edible root of Pastinaca sativa
Esperanto pastinako, pastinako
- pastinakothe plant Pastinaca sativa
- pastinakothe edible root of Pastinaca sativa
Estonian pastinaak
- pastinaakthe plant Pastinaca sativa
Finnish palsternakka, palsternakka
- palsternakkathe plant Pastinaca sativa
- palsternakkathe edible root of Pastinaca sativa
French panais, panais
- panaisthe plant Pastinaca sativa
- panaisthe edible root of Pastinaca sativa
German Pastinake, Pastinake
- Pastinakethe plant Pastinaca sativa
- Pastinakethe edible root of Pastinaca sativa
Greek παστινάκη, παστινάκι
- παστινάκη (pastináki)the plant Pastinaca sativa
- παστινάκι (pastináki)the edible root of Pastinaca sativa
Hebrew גזר לבן, גזר לבן
- גזר לבן (gézer lavan)the plant Pastinaca sativa
- גזר לבן (gézer lavan)the edible root of Pastinaca sativa
Hindi गर्जरिका
- गर्जरिका (garjarikā)the plant Pastinaca sativa
Hungarian pasztinák, pasztinák
- pasztinákthe plant Pastinaca sativa
- pasztinákthe edible root of Pastinaca sativa
- paszternákthe edible root of Pastinaca sativa
Icelandic pastinakka, nípa
- pastinakkathe plant Pastinaca sativa
- nípathe plant Pastinaca sativa
- pastinakkathe edible root of Pastinaca sativa
- nípathe edible root of Pastinaca sativa
Irish meacan bán, meacan bán
- meacan bánthe plant Pastinaca sativa
- meacan bánthe edible root of Pastinaca sativa
Italian pastinaca, pastinaca
- pastinacathe plant Pastinaca sativa
- pastinacathe edible root of Pastinaca sativa
Japanese パースニップ, パースニップ
- パースニップ (pāsunippu)the plant Pastinaca sativa
- パースニップ (pāsunippu)the edible root of Pastinaca sativa
Korean 파스닙, 파스닙
- 파스닙 (paseunip)the plant Pastinaca sativa
- 파스닙 (paseunip)the edible root of Pastinaca sativa
Latin pastināca, pastināca
- pastinācathe plant Pastinaca sativa
- pastinācathe edible root of Pastinaca sativa
Latvian pastinaks
- pastinaksthe plant Pastinaca sativa
Lithuanian pastarnokas
- pastarnokasthe plant Pastinaca sativa
Māori pānipi, pānipi
- pānipithe plant Pastinaca sativa
- pānipithe edible root of Pastinaca sativa
- uhiteathe edible root of Pastinaca sativa
- pāhinipithe edible root of Pastinaca sativa
Norwegian pastinakk
- pastinakkthe edible root of Pastinaca sativa
Norwegian Bokmål pastinakk
- pastinakkthe plant Pastinaca sativa
Persian شقاقل, زردک
- شقاقل (šaqâqol)the plant Pastinaca sativa
- زردک (zardak)the edible root of Pastinaca sativa
- شقاقل (šaqâqol)the edible root of Pastinaca sativa
Polish pasternak, pasternak
- pasternakthe plant Pastinaca sativa
- pasternakthe edible root of Pastinaca sativa
Portuguese pastinaca, pastinaga
- pastinacathe plant Pastinaca sativa
- pastinagathe plant Pastinaca sativa
- cheroviathe plant Pastinaca sativa
- cenoura-bravathe plant Pastinaca sativa
- pastinacathe edible root of Pastinaca sativa
- pastinagathe edible root of Pastinaca sativa
- cheroviathe edible root of Pastinaca sativa
- cenoura-bravathe edible root of Pastinaca sativa
Romanian păstârnac, păstârnac
- păstârnacthe plant Pastinaca sativa
- păstârnacthe edible root of Pastinaca sativa
Russian пастерна́к, пастерна́к
- пастерна́к (pastɛrnák)the plant Pastinaca sativa
- пастерна́к (pastɛrnák)the edible root of Pastinaca sativa
Scottish Gaelic curran geal
- curran gealthe edible root of Pastinaca sativa
Slovak paštrnák, paštrnák
- paštrnákthe plant Pastinaca sativa
- paštrnákthe edible root of Pastinaca sativa
Spanish chirivía, chirivía
- chirivíathe plant Pastinaca sativa
- chirivíathe edible root of Pastinaca sativa
Swedish palsternacka, palsternacka
- palsternackathe plant Pastinaca sativa
- palsternackathe edible root of Pastinaca sativa
Tagalog pastinaka
- pastinakathe plant Pastinaca sativa
Turkish yabani havuç, karakavza
- yabani havuçthe plant Pastinaca sativa
- karakavzathe plant Pastinaca sativa
- yabani havuçthe edible root of Pastinaca sativa
- karakavzathe edible root of Pastinaca sativa
Ukrainian пастерна́к, пастерна́к
- пастерна́к (pasternák)the plant Pastinaca sativa
- пастерна́к (pasternák)the edible root of Pastinaca sativa
Welsh panasen, panasen
- panasenthe plant Pastinaca sativa
- panasenthe edible root of Pastinaca sativa
Yiddish פּאַסטערנאַק, פּאַסטערנאַק
- פּאַסטערנאַק (pasternak)the plant Pastinaca sativa
- פּאַסטערנאַק (pasternak)the edible root of Pastinaca sativa
Cite this entry
APA
parsnip. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/parsnip
MLA
“parsnip.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/parsnip. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “parsnip,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/parsnip.
Source: parsnip on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.