Word
aubergine
US/ˈɔbɝˌdʒin/
UK/ˈəʊbəʒˌiːn/
Definitions
01the vegetable
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Cooking British English
n. a large vegetable with shiny, dark purple skin that is soft and white inside when you cut it.
n. the edible, ovoid fruit of the plant Solanum melongena, typically featuring a glossy dark purple skin.
“She sliced the aubergine into thin rounds before frying them in olive oil.”
“The recipe calls for the aubergine to be salted and drained to remove any residual bitterness before it is layered into the moussaka.”
Usage
Commonly used as an uncountable noun when referring to the food in general, but countable when referring to the individual fruit.
Synonyms
02the colour
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun British English
n. a very dark, rich purple colour like the skin of the vegetable.
n. a deep, dark purple colour resembling the skin of a ripe aubergine fruit.
“The walls of the dining room were painted a deep aubergine.”
“The designer selected an aubergine velvet for the upholstery to provide a sophisticated contrast against the pale oak flooring.”
Synonyms
03colour description
C1 · Advanced British English · Formal
adj. having a dark purple colour.
adj. of a dark, brownish-purple colour.
“He wore an aubergine tie that matched his dark suit perfectly.”
“The evening sky turned a bruised aubergine shade just before the storm broke over the valley.”
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“Out of that scrap of land, Abu Rabee says his family have produced hundreds of thousands of aubergine, tomato and pepper seedlings.” “Berenjena de Almagro (Almagro aubergine)
This type of aubergine is very different to the type that you’re used to in other countries.” Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from French aubergine, from Catalan albergínia, from Arabic اَلْبَاذِنْجَان (al-bāḏinjān, “the aubergine”), from Classical Persian بَادِنْجَان (bādinjān), from بَاتِنْگَان (bātingān), from Sanskrit वातिङ्गण (vātiṅgaṇa, “the plant that cures the wind”), from Dravidian, ultimately from Proto-Dravidian *waẓVtV. Cognate with Malayalam വഴുതനങ്ങ (vaḻutanaṅṅa), Hindi बैंगन (baiṅgan). Doublet of brinjal.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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