Word
parsley
Phoneticspars·ley
US/ˈpɑɹsɫi/
UK/pˈɑːsli/
Definitions
01the herb or its leaves
n. a green plant whose leaves are used in cooking to add a fresh taste or to make a plate look nice.
n. the leaves of the Petroselinum crispum plant, used as a culinary herb or garnish in various global cuisines. Uncountable when referring to the food ingredient.
“She chopped some fresh parsley to sprinkle over the potatoes before serving.”
“The chef finished the dish with a generous handful of finely minced flat-leaf parsley to provide a bright, herbaceous contrast to the rich sauce.”
02the plant itself
n. the actual plant that grows in a garden or pot.
n. the biennial plant species Petroselinum crispum, characterized by its bright green, curled or flat foliage. Countable when referring to individual plants.
“We planted three different parsleys in the herb garden this spring.”
“Parsley thrives in moist, well-drained soil and can be grown easily in kitchen window boxes for year-round access.”
03to add parsley to
v. to put parsley on a dish.
v. to garnish or season a culinary preparation with parsley. Transitive; primarily used in professional culinary contexts.
“The cook parsleyed the fish just before it left the kitchen.”
“The recipe suggests that the potatoes be buttered and parsleyed immediately after draining to ensure the herb adheres to the surface.”
Technical
Etymology
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.