parsnip

Meaning

1. A biennial plant, Pastinaca sativa, related to the carrot.
2. The root of the parsnip, when used as a vegetable.

Synonyms

Pastinaca sativa

stingray

tuber

turnip

cultivated parsnip

Hyphenated as

par‧snip

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈpɑɹ.snɪp/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: passenep

In summary

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”).