n.1 a variety of cabbage with a large immature flower-head of small usu. creamy-white flower-buds.
2 the flower-head eaten as a vegetable.
Phrases and idioms:
cauliflower cheese a savoury dish of cauliflower in a cheese sauce. cauliflower ear an ear thickened by repeated blows, esp. in boxing.
Etymology: earlier cole-florie etc. f. obs. F chou fleuri flowered cabbage, assim. to COLE and FLOWER