fennel

[ fen-l ]
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noun
  1. a plant, Foeniculum vulgare, of the parsley family, having feathery leaves and umbels of small, yellow flowers.

  2. Also fen·nel seed . the aromatic fruits of Foeniculum vulgare, used in cooking and medicine.

  1. any of various plants more or less similar to Foeniculum vulgare, such as Ferula communis(giant fennel ), a tall, ornamental plant.

Origin of fennel

1
First recorded before 900; Middle English fenel, Old English fenol, variant of finu (g )l from unattested Vulgar Latin fenuclum, for Latin fēniculum, faeniculum, equivalent to faeni- (combining form of faenum “hay”) + -culum -cle1

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How to use fennel in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for fennel

fennel

/ (ˈfɛnəl) /


noun
  1. a strong-smelling yellow-flowered umbelliferous plant, Foeniculum vulgare, whose seeds and feathery leaves are used to season and flavour food: See also finocchio

  2. another name for mayweed

Origin of fennel

1
Old English fenol, from Latin faeniculum fennel, diminutive of faenum hay

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012