asparagus : Dictionary / Wörterbuch (BEOLINGUS, TU Chemnitz)

English Dictionary: asparagus	by the DICT Development Group
2 results for asparagus
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
asparagus n plant whose succulent young shoots are cooked and eaten as a vegetable Synonym(s): asparagus, edible asparagus, Asparagus officinales edible young shoots of the asparagus plant
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Asparagus \Aspar"agus\, n. [L., fr. Gr. [?], [?]; cf. [?] to swell with sap or juice, and Zend [?]paregha prong, sprout, Pers. asparag, Lith. spurgas sprout, Skr. sphurj to swell. Perh. the Greek borrowed from the Persian. Cf. {Sparrowgrass}.] 1. (Bot.) A genus of perennial plants belonging to the natural order {Liliace[91]}, and having erect much branched stems, and very slender branchlets which are sometimes mistaken for leaves. {Asparagus racemosus} is a shrubby climbing plant with fragrant flowers. Specifically: The {Asparagus officinalis}, a species cultivated in gardens. 2. The young and tender shoots of {A. officinalis}, which form a valuable and well-known article of food. Note: This word was formerly pronounced sparrowgrass; but this pronunciation is now confined exclusively to uneducated people. {Asparagus beetle} (Zo[94]l.), a small beetle ({Crioceris asparagi}) injurious to asparagus.