# spinach

/ˈspɪnətʃ/ (US) · /spˈɪnɪtʃ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/spinach
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. the vegetable

noun · CEFR A2

a plant with large, dark green leaves that people eat as a vegetable.

For teachers: the edible leaves of the plant Spinacia oleracea, consumed either raw or cooked. Uncountable when referring to the food; countable when referring to botanical varieties.

- She added a handful of fresh spinach to her morning smoothie.
- The chef recommended sautéing the spinach briefly with garlic and olive oil to preserve its vibrant colour and texture.

### 2. golf/slang

noun · CEFR C2 · Slang · Informal

a slang word for long, thick grass on a golf course that is hard to hit out of.

For teachers: a slang term for the 'rough' or long grass on a golf course. Used informally by players to describe difficult lies.

- His ball landed deep in the spinach, making his next shot very difficult.
- After a wayward drive, the golfer spent several minutes searching for his ball in the thick spinach bordering the fourteenth fairway.

## Examples

- I like to add fresh spinach to my morning smoothies.
- The chef sautéed the spinach with garlic and olive oil to serve as a side dish.
- While raw spinach provides a crisp texture for salads, cooking the leaves significantly reduces their volume and makes certain nutrients more accessible for digestion.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.