the crisp, pungent, edible root of the plant, Raphanus sativus, of the mustard family, usually eaten raw.
2.
the plant itself.
Origin: bef. 1000; late ME radish(e), var. (cf. OF radise, var. of radice) of ME radich(e), OE rǣdic < L rādīc- (s. of rādīxroot1); cf. OHG rātih, G Rettich
late O.E. rædic, from L. radicem, acc. of radix "root," from PIE base *wrad- "twig, root" (cf. Gk. rhiza, Lesbian brisda "root;" Gk. hradamnos "branch;" Goth. waurts, O.E. wyrt, Welsh gwridd, O.Ir. fren "root").