əˈsparəgəs also -er- noun
Etymology: in sense 1, from New Latin, from Latin, asparagus (plant), from Greek asparagos, aspharagos; in other senses, from Latin, asparagus (plant); akin to Greek spargan to swell — more at spark
1. capitalized : a genus of Old World perennial herbs (family Liliaceae) having erect much-branched stems, minute scalelike leaves, and linear cladophylls often mistaken for leaves
2. -es
a. : any plant of the genus Asparagus ; especially : a plant ( A. officinalis ) widely cultivated for its tender edible young shoots
b. : the root of cultivated asparagus formerly used as a diuretic
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