a plant, Pastinaca sativa, cultivated varieties of which have a large, whitish, edible root.
2.
the root of this plant.
Origin: 1350–1400; earlier pars(e)nep, pass(e)nep, ME pas(t)nep(e) < L past(ināca) parsnip (deriv. of pastinum forked dibble) + ME nep turnip; see neep
A strong-scented plant (Pastinaca sativa) cultivated for its long, white, edible, fleshy root.
The root of this plant.
[Middle English pasnepe, alteration (influenced by nep, turnip) of Old French pasnaie, from Latin pastināca, from pastinum, a kind of two-pronged dibble.]