From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
asparagus
n 1: plant whose succulent young shoots are cooked and eaten as
a vegetable [syn: asparagus, edible asparagus,
Asparagus officinales]
2: edible young shoots of the asparagus plant
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Asparagus \As*par"a*gus\ ([a^]s*p[a^]r"[.a]*g[u^]s), n. [L., fr.
Gr. 'aspa`ragos, 'asfa`ragos; cf. sparga^n to swell with sap
or juice, and Zend [,c]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.
[1913 Webster]
2. The young and tender shoots of Asparagus officinalis,
which form a valuable and well-known article of food.
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Note: This word was formerly pronounced sparrowgrass; but
this pronunciation is now confined exclusively to
uneducated people.
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Asparagus beetle (Zool.), a small beetle ({Crioceris
asparagi}) injurious to asparagus.
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