endive
UK[ˈendaɪv]US[ˈendaɪv]
n
a plant with crisp, curly, bitter-tasting leaves that are eaten raw in salads.
n
(chiefly us) the young, blanched leaves of the chicory plant, used as a vegetable.
Etymology
the word 'endive' entered english in the late middle english period, borrowed from the old french term of the same spelling. the french word itself derives from the medieval latin 'endivia', a variant of the latin 'intibus'. this latin term is believed to have been borrowed from a near eastern source, likely via greek, though its precise pre-greek origin is uncertain, possibly egyptian. the journey of the word reflects the journey of the vegetable itself, moving from the mediterranean and near east into european cultivation and cuisine, with its name undergoing phonetic adaptation at each step.
Analysis
this word is a loanword where the morphemes are not productively separable in modern english.
Examples
the salad was garnished with fresh, curly endive.
she prefers the slightly bitter taste of belgian endive in her recipes.
the recipe calls for one head of endive, washed and separated into leaves.