Adjacent Words

Asparagus officinalis definitions

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Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Asparagus As*par"a*gus, 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[ae], 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["o]l.), a small beetle (Crioceris asparagi) injurious to asparagus.