broccoli
UK[ˈbrɒkəli]US[ˈbrɑːkəli]
n
a vegetable with a thick green stem and a dense green or purple flower head, eaten cooked or raw.
Etymology
the word 'broccoli' entered english in the 17th century, borrowed directly from the italian plural 'broccoli', meaning 'the flowering crest of a cabbage'. the italian term is a diminutive of 'brocco', signifying 'a shoot' or 'a small nail', which itself derives from the late latin 'broccus', meaning 'projecting, pointed'. this latin adjective likely originates from a gaulish or other celtic source, related to words for a point or a badger. thus, the vegetable's name poetically captures the image of its small, projecting, flowering shoots.
Analysis
the word is a loanword from italian and is treated as a simplex unit in english. it does not contain separable morphemes based on its current english spelling.
Examples
steamed broccoli is a healthy and nutritious side dish.
she added some chopped broccoli to the stir-fry.
the recipe calls for one head of broccoli, cut into florets.