celery

celery
/sel"euh ree, sel"ree/, n.
a plant, Apium graveolens, of the parsley family, whose leafstalks are eaten raw or cooked.
[1655-65; < F céleri < It seleri, pl. of selero Gk sélinon parsley]

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Herb (Apium graveolens) of the parsley family, native to the Mediterranean and the Middle East.

The varieties with large, fleshy, succulent, upright leafstalks were developed in the late 18th century. Celery is usually eaten cooked in Europe but raw in the U.S. The tiny fruit, or seed, of the celery resembles the plant itself in taste and aroma and is used as a seasoning.

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▪ plant
 (species Apium graveolens), herb of the family Apiaceae (Umbelliferae). Native to the Mediterranean areas and the Middle East, celery was used as a flavouring by the ancient Greeks and Romans and as a medicine by the ancient Chinese. The ancient forms resembled smallage, or wild celery. Celery with large, fleshy, succulent, upright leafstalks, or petioles, was developed in the late 18th century. The stringiness that characterizes most celery has been eliminated from some varieties, notably the Pascal.

      In Europe celery is usually eaten cooked as a vegetable or as a delicate flavouring in a variety of stocks, casseroles, and soups. In the United States raw celery is served with spreads or dips as an appetizer and in salads.

      The tiny fruit, or seed, of the celery resembles the plant itself in taste and aroma and is used as a seasoning, particularly in soups and pickles. Celery seed contains about 2 to 3 percent essential oil, the principal components of which are d-limonene and selinene.

      Celeriac (Apium graveolens variety rapaceum), also called celery root, or turnip-rooted celery, has a large edible root used as a raw or cooked vegetable.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Celery — Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae (unranked) …   Wikipedia

  • celery — (n.) 1660s, from Fr. céleri (17c., originally sceleri d Italie), from Italian (Lombard dialect) seleri (singular selero), from L.L. selinon, from Gk. selinon parsley. [O]ne day, in a weak and hungry moment, my roommate and I succumbed to a bit of …   Etymology dictionary

  • Celery — Cel er*y, n. [F. c[ e]leri, cf. Prov. It. seleno, seler; fr. Gr. ? parsley, in Lgr. & NGr. celery. Cf. {Parsley}.] (Bot.) A plant of the Parsley family ({Apium graveolens}), of which the blanched leafstalks are used as a salad. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • celery — ► NOUN ▪ a garden plant with crisp juicy stalks, used in salads or as a vegetable. ORIGIN French céleri, from Greek selinon parsley …   English terms dictionary

  • celery — [sel′ər ē, sel′rē] n. [Fr céleri < It seleri < L selinon < Gr, parsley] a biennial plant (Apium graveolens var. dulce) of the umbel family, whose long, crisp leafstalks are eaten as a vegetable …   English World dictionary

  • celery — noun … OF CELERY ▪ stalk (AmE), stick (esp. BrE) VERB + CELERY ▪ cook, prepare ▪ chop, dice, slice …   Collocations dictionary

  • celery — n. 1) crisp celery 2) a bunch of celery * * * [ selərɪ] a bunch of celery crisp celery …   Combinatory dictionary

  • celery — [17] Celery comes ultimately from Greek sélīnon, which signified ‘parsley’ – like the celery, a plant of the group Umbelliferae (the English word parsley comes from Greek petrōselínon, literally ‘rock parsley’). It came into English via Latin… …   The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

  • celery — [17] Celery comes ultimately from Greek sélīnon, which signified ‘parsley’ – like the celery, a plant of the group Umbelliferae (the English word parsley comes from Greek petrōselínon, literally ‘rock parsley’). It came into English via Latin… …   Word origins

  • celery — [[t]se̱ləri[/t]] N UNCOUNT Celery is a vegetable with long pale green stalks. It is eaten raw in salads. ...a stick of celery …   English dictionary

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