onion

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see also: Onion

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Etymology

From Middle English onyoun, oynoun, from Old French oignon, from Latin ūniōnem, accusative of ūniō, which had also been borrowed into Old English as yne, ynnelēac (> Middle English hynne-leac, henne-leac).

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈʌn.jən/
• (Canada) IPA: /ˈʌŋ.jɪn/
• (Australia) IPA: /ˈʌŋ.jən/, /ˈʌn.jən/
• IPA: /ˈɪŋ.ən/, /ˈɪn.jən/

Noun

onion (plural onions)

1. A monocotyledonous plant (Allium cepa), allied to garlic, used as vegetable and spice.
2. The bulb of such a plant.
   • 1962 (quoting 1381 text), Hans Kurath & Sherman M. Kuhn, eds., Middle English Dictionary, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan Press, ISBN 978-0-472-01044-8, page 1242:

     dorrẹ̅, dōrī adj. & n. […] cook. glazed with a yellow substance; pome(s ~, sopes ~. […] 1381 Pegge Cook. Recipes p. 114: For to make Soupys dorry. Nym onyons […] Nym wyn […] toste wyte bred and do yt in dischis, and god Almande mylk.

3. A plant of the genus Allium as a whole.
4. (slang, of a drug) An ounce.
5. (obsolete baseball slang) A ball.
6. (obsolete, slang) A watch-seal.

Synonyms

• (vegetable) violet (UK dialect)

Translations

• French: oignon, ognon (alternative spelling)
• German: Zwiebel
• Italian: cipolla
• Portuguese: cebola
• Russian: лук
• Spanish: cebolla

Translations

• Italian: cipolla
• Portuguese: cebola
• Russian: лу́ковица
• Spanish: cebolla

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Onion

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Etymology

In reference to the large quantities of onions grown on Bermuda.

Noun

onion (plural onions)

1. (Bermuda, slang) An inhabitant of Bermuda; a Bermudian.

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