asparagus
noun
as·par·a·gus
| \ ə-ˈsper-ə-gəs
, -ˈspa-rə-\
, -ˈspa-rə-\
plural asparagus
Definition of asparagus
: any of a genus (Asparagus) of Old World perennial plants of the lily family having much-branched stems, minute scalelike leaves, and narrow usually filiform branchlets that function as leaves
especially
: one (A. officinalis) widely cultivated for its edible young shoots
Illustration of asparagus
Examples of asparagus in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Roll into glass, back into shaker, back into glass. Garnish with 2 asparagus spears and an olive on a toothpick. — Aleksandra Crapanzano, WSJ, "In Praise of the Morning Cocktail," 25 June 2019 There are fresh asparagus spears still crunchy under beautiful white, firm-fleshed fish, veal stew with mushrooms, bitter greens salads, crusty bread, and vanilla custard or mille feuille for dessert. — Stephanie Burt, Condé Nast Traveler, "28 Best Restaurants in Charleston," 2 May 2018 So was a side of roasted asparagus topped with horseradish. — Rand Richards Cooper, courant.com, "Review: Regal dining at Feng Chophouse in Hartford (but for a king’s ransom)," 8 Aug. 2019 Millard has a way with vegetables, coaxing maximum flavor out of asparagus or carrots, snap peas or mushrooms. — Michael Russell, oregonlive.com, "Everything Southeast Portland’s Coquine does, it does well (2019 review)," 4 Aug. 2019 This pretty, slightly plump but dry Chenin is particularly good with asparagus and broccoli. 3. — Lettie Teague, WSJ, "Yes, You Can Pair Wine With Vegetables," 2 Aug. 2018 On a recent day, Diaz said, his team used 560 pounds of Delta asparagus, 200 pounds of button mushrooms from Colusa, 120 pounds of Persian cucumbers and 200 pounds of pea shoots from West Sacramento, and 160 pounds of strawberries from Watsonville. — Cathie Anderson, sacbee, "Hospital food gets a farm-to-fork makeover from UC Davis Medical Center's new chef," 18 June 2018 May typically brings the first wave of local asparagus. — Ashleigh Spitza, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "The joys - and time-saving benefits - of a minimalist's approach to entertaining," 12 May 2018 When hot, sear the asparagus, scallops, shrimp and squid, placing a small weight (such as a plate) on top, until a nice golden crust forms, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. — Tara Duggan, SFChronicle.com, "Recipe: How to make Bellota’s ‘San Francisco Treat’ Paella," 10 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'asparagus.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for asparagus
asparagus
noun
English Language Learners Definition of asparagus
: a plant with long green stems and tiny leaves at one end that is cooked and eaten as a vegetable
See the full definition for asparagus in the English Language Learners Dictionary
asparagus
noun
as·par·a·gus
| \ ə-ˈsper-ə-gəs
\
\
Kids Definition of asparagus
: a vegetable that is the young shoots of a garden plant related to the lilies that lives for many years
asparagus
noun
as·par·a·gus
| \ ə-ˈspar-ə-gəs
\
\
Medical Definition of asparagus
1
capitalized
: a genus of Old World perennial herbs of the lily family (Liliaceae) having erect much-branched stems, minute scalelike leaves, and narrow filiform branchlets that function as leaves
2a
: any plant of the genus Asparagus
especially
: a plant (A. officinalis) widely cultivated for its tender edible young shoots
b
: the root of cultivated asparagus formerly used as a diuretic
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