parsley
n. uncountablen. a small plant with curly or flat green leaves used to add flavor to food. You often see it chopped up in salads or used to decorate a plate.
n. a biennial herb with aromatic, often crinkled leaves, widely cultivated for use as a culinary seasoning or garnish.
I added some fresh parsley to the pasta sauce.
The chef finished the dish by sprinkling finely chopped parsley over the grilled fish for a touch of color.
While flat-leaf parsley is generally preferred by cooks for its robust flavor, the curly variety remains a popular choice for garnishing plates in traditional restaurant service.
From Middle English persely, from Old French peresil, from Latin petroselīnum, from Ancient Greek πετροσέλῑνον (petrosélīnon, “parsley”), from πέτρος (pétros, “rock, stone”) + σέλῑνον (sélīnon, “celery”). Displaced Old English petersiliġe, which goes back to the same root.
Usually uncountable when referring to the herb as an ingredient; countable when referring to the botanical species.