onion


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on·ion

 (ŭn′yən)
n.
1.
a. A bulbous plant (Allium cepa) cultivated worldwide as a vegetable.
b. The rounded edible bulb of this plant, composed of fleshy, tight, concentric leaf bases having a pungent odor and taste.
2. Any of several other plants in the genus Allium.

[Middle English oynoun, unyon, from Anglo-Norman oignon, ongnon, from Vulgar Latin *uniō, uniōn-, variant of Latin ūniō, ūniōn- length of the initial u uncertain), perhaps from ūnus, one (in reference to the single compact bulb of the onion, as opposed to the multiple cloves of garlic); see oi-no in Indo-European roots, or perhaps akin to Sanskrit uṣnaḥ, onion, Pashto ūʐa;, garlic, and Hittite wašḫar, -wašḫan- in šuppiwašḫar, onion (šuppi-, pure).]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

onion

(ˈʌnjən)
n
1. (Plants) an alliaceous plant, Allium cepa, having greenish-white flowers: cultivated for its rounded edible bulb
2. (Plants) the bulb of this plant, consisting of concentric layers of white succulent leaf bases with a pungent odour and taste
3. (Plants) any of several related plants similar to A. cepa, such as A. fistulosum (Welsh onion)
4. know one's onions slang Brit to be fully acquainted with a subject
[C14: via Anglo-Norman from Old French oignon, from Latin unio onion, related to union]
ˈoniony adj
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

on•ion

(ˈʌn yən)

n.
1. a plant, Allium cepa, of the amaryllis family, having an edible, succulent, pungent bulb.
2. this bulb.
3. any of certain similar plants.
[1325–75; Middle English < Old French oignon < Latin ūniōnem, acc. of ūniō a unity, large pearl, onion; see union]
on′ion•y, adj.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.onion - the bulb of an onion plantonion - the bulb of an onion plant    
Allium cepa, onion plant, onion - bulbous plant having hollow leaves cultivated worldwide for its rounded edible bulb
bulb - a modified bud consisting of a thickened globular underground stem serving as a reproductive structure
2.onion - bulbous plant having hollow leaves cultivated worldwide for its rounded edible bulbonion - bulbous plant having hollow leaves cultivated worldwide for its rounded edible bulb
alliaceous plant - bulbous plants having a characteristic pungent onion odor
onion - the bulb of an onion plant
Allium ascalonicum, Allium cepa aggregatum, eschalot, multiplier onion, shallot - type of onion plant producing small clustered mild-flavored bulbs used as seasoning
Allium cepa viviparum, Egyptian onion, top onion, tree onion - type of perennial onion grown chiefly as a curiosity or for early salad onions; having bulbils that replace the flowers
Allium fistulosum, Japanese leek, Welsh onion - Asiatic onion with slender bulbs; used as early green onions
Allium haematochiton, red-skinned onion - onion with white to deep red tunic; California
isothiocyanate - a family of compounds derived from horseradish and radishes and onions and mustards; source of the hotness of those plants and preparations
3.onion - an aromatic flavorful vegetable
veg, vegetable, veggie - edible seeds or roots or stems or leaves or bulbs or tubers or nonsweet fruits of any of numerous herbaceous plant
Bermuda onion - mild flat onion grown in warm areas
green onion, spring onion, scallion - a young onion before the bulb has enlarged; eaten in salads
Vidalia onion - sweet-flavored onion grown in Georgia
Spanish onion - large mild and succulent onion; often eaten raw
shallot - small mild-flavored onion-like or garlic-like clustered bulbs used for seasoning
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

onion

noun
Related words
adjective cepaceous
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
Translations
بَصَلبَصَلٌ
лук
cibule
løg
cepo
پیاز
sipuli
luk
hagymavöröshagyma
laukur
タマネギ
양파
cepa
svogūnas
sīpols
ceapă
čebula
lökgullök
kitunguu
หัวหอม
پیازکاندا
củ hành

onion

[ˈʌnjən]
A. Ncebolla f
to know one's onions (Brit) → conocer a fondo su oficio, conocer el paño
B. CPDde cebolla
onion dome N (Archit) → cúpula f bulbosa
onion johnny Nvendedor m ambulante de cebollas
onion rings NPLaros mpl de cebolla rebozados
onion skin N (= paper) → papel m de cebolla
onion soup Nsopa f de cebolla
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

onion

[ˈʌnjən] noignon m
to know one's onions (= be well-informed) → s'y connaître onion gravyonion gravy nsauce f aux oignonsonion ring nrondelle f d'oignon en beignetonion soup nsoupe f à l'oignon
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

onion

nZwiebel f; he knows his onions (Brit inf) → er kennt seinen Kram (inf)

onion

:
onion dome
nZwiebelturm m
onion ring
n (Cook) → Zwiebelring m
onion-shaped
onionskin
nZwiebelschale f; (= paper)Florpost f
onion soup
nZwiebelsuppe f
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

onion

[ˈʌnjən] ncipolla
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

onion

(ˈanjən) noun
a type of vegetable with an eatable bulb which has a strong taste and smell. pickled onions; Put plenty of onion in the stew.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

onion

بَصَلٌ cibule løg Zwiebel κρεμμύδι cebolla sipuli oignon luk cipolla タマネギ 양파 ui løk cebula cebola лук lök หัวหอม soğan củ hành 洋葱
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009

onion

n cebolla
English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
References in classic literature ?
When they feast a friend they kill an ox, and set immediately a quarter of him raw upon the table (for their most elegant treat is raw beef newly killed) with pepper and salt; the gall of the ox serves them for oil and vinegar; some, to heighten the delicacy of the entertainment, add a kind of sauce, which they call manta, made of what they take out of the guts of the ox; this they set on the fire, with butter, salt, pepper, and onion. Raw beef, thus relished, is their nicest dish, and is eaten by them with the same appetite and pleasure as we eat the best partridges.
In the course of her digging with her pointed stick Mistress Mary had found herself digging up a sort of white root rather like an onion. She had put it back in its place and patted the earth carefully down on it and just now she wondered if Martha could tell her what it was.
"I have here an onion and a little cheese and a few scraps of bread," said Sancho, "but they are not victuals fit for a valiant knight like your worship."
Among these is the camash, a sweet root, about the form and size of an onion, and said to be really delicious.
"There is an island not far from here," said the porpoises, "where the wild onions grow tall and strong.
"Any onions, your Majesty?" asked one of the guard.
"Ah, ha," cried Danglars, "this fellow is more like an ogre than anything else; however, I am rather too old and tough to be very good eating!" We see that Danglars was collected enough to jest; at the same time, as though to disprove the ogreish propensities, the man took some black bread, cheese, and onions from his wallet, which he began devouring voraciously.
My floating coffin was many things in turn; a railway carriage, a pleasure boat on the Thames, a hammock under the trees; last of all it was the upper berth in a not very sweet-smelling cabin, with a clatter of knives and forks near at hand, and a very strong odor of onions in the Irish stew.
McGregor hoeing onions. His back was turned towards Peter, and beyond him was the gate!
They bought a round steak, potatoes, onions, and a dozen eating apples, then went out from the town to the fringe of trees and brush that advertised a creek.
Here I found some young onions, a couple of gladiolus bulbs, and a quantity of immature carrots, all of which I secured, and, scrambling over a ruined wall, went on my way through scarlet and crimson trees towards Kew-- it was like walking through an avenue of gigantic blood drops--possessed with two ideas: to get more food, and to limp, as soon and as far as my strength permitted, out of this accursed unearthly region of the pit.
Then consider what victual or esculent things there are, which grow speedily, and within the year; as parsnips, carrots, turnips, onions, radish, artichokes of Hierusalem, maize, and the like.