Turnip Meaning
/ˈtɜː.nɪp/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounThe white root of a yellow-flowered plant, Brassica rapa, grown as a vegetable and as fodder for cattle.
nounThe yellow root of a related plant, the swede or Brassica napus.
Sentence Examples
The gardener won first prize for the largest turnip grown in the spring harvest.
Tom fell off the turnip truck.
You can't squeeze blood out of a turnip.
CEFR Practice Quiz
She peeled the purple and white ____ before adding it to the soup.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She added a chopped ____ to the hearty vegetable soup to give it more flavor and a nice texture today.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English turnepe, probably from turn + Middle English nepe, from Old English nǣp, from Latin nāpus. The component turn may be due to the round shape of the plant as though turned on a lathe, or because it must be turned and twisted to be harvested. Cognate to neep. See also parsnip.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"The ancient Roman gastronomists considered the turnip, when prepared in the following manner, a dish fit for epicures: "After boiling, extract the water from them, and season with cummin, rue, or benzoin, pounded in a mortar; afterward add honey, vinegar, gravy, and boiled grapes. Allow the whole to simmer, and serve.""
— 1892, Ella Eaton Kellogg, “Vegetables”, in Science in the Kitchen: A Scientific Treatise on Food Substances and Their Dietetic Properties, Together with a Practical Explanation of the Principles of Healthful Cookery, and a Large Number of Original, Palatable, and Wholesome Recipes, Revised edition, Michigan: Health Publishing Company, page 240:
"In general, beets, carrots, and turnips are all of aphrodisiac value in erotic dietary."
— 1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 42:
"The turnip is one of the lordliest vegetables in the world; its broth is practically a soup in itself."
— 1969, Robert Farrar Capon, “Living Water”, in The Supper of the Lamb: A Culinary Reflection:
""Dost thou not believe, thou twittering turnip?""
— 1971, Richard Carpenter, Catweazle and the Magic Zodiac, Harmondsworth: Puffin Books, page 33:
"You absolute turnip, you.
Hannah replaced the clipboard in her lap and pretended to write Very Serious notes. Thank God it was dark in the rear of the studio. No one could see the tomato-colored tidal wave surging up her neck."
— 2022, Tessa Bailey, Hook, Line, and Sinker:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
She peeled the purple and white ____ before adding it to the soup.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She added a chopped ____ to the hearty vegetable soup to give it more flavor and a nice texture today.