turnip

Meaning

Noun

1. The white root of a yellow-flowered plant, Brassica rapa, grown as a vegetable and as fodder for cattle.
2. (Atlantic-Canada, Cornwall, Ireland, Northern-England, Scotland) The yellow root of a related plant, the swede or Brassica napus.
3. (Hong-Kong) The white root of Raphanus sativus var. longipinnatus, also known as a daikon.
4. (Malaysia, Singapore, broadly) The root of the yam bean, Pachyrhizus erosus; jicama.
5. (dated) A large, heavy pocket watch, so called because its profile resembled the vegetable.
6. (slang) A fool or simpleton.

Verb

1. (transitive) To plant with turnips.
2. (transitive) To feed or graze (livestock) on turnips.

Synonyms

rutabaga

swede

white turnip

radish

Brassica rapa

Raphanus sativus

turnip plant

rappini

turmit

beet

ike

parsnip

rape

tuber

brassica

Translations

navet

nabo

rapa

Rübe

nabo

raap

knol

knolraap

şalgam

nap

şêlim

koolzaad

κράμβη

silka spî

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈtɜː.nɪp/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: turnepe

Inherited from Middle English: nepe

Inherited from Old English: nǣp

In summary

From Middle English turnepe, probably from turn + Middle English nepe, from Old English nǣp, from Latin nāpus. The component turn may be due to the round shape of the plant as though turned on a lathe, or because it must be turned and twisted to be harvested. Cognate to neep. See also parsnip.