rhubarb

CEFRB2

/ˈɹuːbɑːb/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A plant with sour red stalks used in cooking.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    The dried rhizome and roots of Rheum palmatum (Chinese rhubarb) or Rheum officinale (Tibetan rhubarb), from China, used as a laxative and purgative.

Examples

  • I like rhubarb tarts more than apricot tarts.

  • Crouch down here like this, but do it theatrically and don't say, "Rhubarb."

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5
Synonyms
1

Also pronounced

  • [ˈɹuːbaɹb]
  • [ɹɪu̯-]

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. The leafstalks of common rhubarb or garden rhubarb (usually known as Rheum × hybridum), which are long, fleshy, often pale red, and with a tart taste, used as a food ingredient; they are frequently stewed with sugar and made into jam or used in crumbles, pies...

  2. Any plant of the genus Rheum, especially Rheum rhabarbarum, having large leaves and long green or reddish acidic leafstalks that are edible, in particular when cooked (although the leaves are mildly poisonous).

  3. The leafstalks of common rhubarb or garden rhubarb (usually known as Rheum × hybridum), which are long, fleshy, often pale red, and with a tart taste, used as a food ingredient; they are frequently stewed with sugar and made into jam or used in crumbles, pies, etc.

More examples

In context

  • Driving home yesterday, I almost hit the rhubarb.

  • At Rick's side our local Liberal Party Chairman is smacking his yeoman's paws together and rhubarbing ecstatically in Rick's ear.

  • Back in the bedroom next door, the conversation is moving from subdued rhubarb to a cackle.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

For dessert, we made a delicious pie using the sour red stalks of blank from the garden.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From Middle English rubarbe, from Anglo-Norman reubarbe (modern French rhubarbe), from Late Latin reubarbarum, rheubarbarum, rubarbera, rybarba, probably from Koine Greek ῥῆον βαρβαρικόν (rhêon barbarikón), from ῥῆον (rhêon, “rhubarb”) + Ancient Greek βαρβαρικόν (barbarikón), neuter of βαρβαρικός (barbarikós, “foreign; barbaric”) (English barbaric). There is also a Medieval Latin variant rabarbarum, which appears to be influenced by Ancient Greek ῥᾶ (rhâ, “rhubarb”), and gave rise to some of the forms in modern languages. The Ancient Greek variant term appears to have been folk-etymologically influenced by Ancient Greek Ῥᾶ (Rhâ, “the River Volga”), which is in the region from which the plan...