Parsnip

Parsnip

Noun · /ˈpɑːsnɪp/ · a cream-coloured root vegetable

Definition

A long, cream-coloured root vegetable of the carrot family (Apiaceae), with a sweet, nutty flavour that intensifies after frost. Eaten roasted, mashed, or in soups. Also appears in the British idiom fine words butter no parsnips — meaning flattery achieves nothing practical.

Origin

From Middle English pasnepe, adapted from Old French pasnaie, itself from Latin pastinaca (a root vegetable, possibly related to pastinum, a two-pronged digging fork). The final -nip was added by folk etymology, influenced by the word turnip. The vegetable has been cultivated in Europe since Roman times and was a dietary staple in Britain before the potato arrived from the Americas.