English Reference

Word

brussels

Phoneticsbrus·sels

/ˈbɹəsəɫz/

Definitions

01the city

B1

n. the capital city of Belgium.

n. the capital city of Belgium and the administrative centre of the Brussels-Capital Region.

“We spent three days in Brussels visiting the famous central square.”

“Brussels serves as a major international hub, housing the headquarters of both NATO and the European Commission within its metropolitan area.”

02the European Union

B2

n. the government and administration of the European Union.

n. a metonym for the administrative apparatus and political leadership of the European Union.

“The new environmental laws were decided by Brussels last month.”

“National governments often debate how much regulatory power should be handed over to Brussels regarding trade and migration policies.”

Synonyms

EUthe Commission

03Brussels sprout

B1 · Cooking

n. a small, round, green vegetable that looks like a tiny cabbage.

n. a small, green, leafy vegetable of the Gemmifera cultivar group of cabbages, typically eaten cooked.

“Many children dislike eating Brussels sprouts because they can taste slightly bitter.”

“The chef roasted the Brussels sprouts with balsamic vinegar and pancetta to balance their natural earthiness.”

Usage

Usually used in the plural form 'Brussels sprouts'.

Synonyms

Etymology

Etymology tree Dutch Brusselbor. English Brussels Borrowed from Dutch Brussel. The metonymic meaning of Brussels as the European Union stems from the fact that the EU headquarters is based in Brussels.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
B1 · Intermediate
Frequency
Frequent
Updated

Scan code

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English Reference