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cauliflower

noun

  1. type of cabbage
L317819 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ˈkɒl.i.flaʊ.ə/ / /ˈkɒl.ɪ.flaʊ.ə/ / /ˈkɔl.ɪˌflaʊ.ɚ/

noun

Etymology: From 16th century cole-florye, equivalent to cole (from Latin caulis) + flower, reformed to more closely match the Latin etymon. Cognate with French chou-fleur, Italian cavolfiore.

  1. Brassica oleracea var. botrytis, an annual variety of cabbage, of which the cluster of young flower stalks and buds is eaten as a vegetable.

    ASPARAGUS, cauliflowers, imperial Sileſia, royal and cabbage lettuces, burnet, purſlain, cucumbers, naſturtian flowers, peaſe and beans ſown in October, artichokes, ſcarlet ſtrawberries, and kidney beans.

  2. The edible head or curd of a cauliflower plant.
  3. The swelling of a cauliflower ear.

    His ears were small (fortunately so, given his dramatic hairstyle) and bore no traditional cauliflowers.

verb

Etymology: From 16th century cole-florye, equivalent to cole (from Latin caulis) + flower, reformed to more closely match the Latin etymon. Cognate with French chou-fleur, Italian cavolfiore.

  1. To (cause to) swell up like a cauliflower ear.

    I noticed his right ear was badly cauliflowered and that explained a number of things. It wasn't a new job of cauliflowering.

    Returning to your first point, the cauliflowering of magnesite bricks — we presume that this is due to your using high concentrations of oxygen for blowing the furnace, giving high checker-temperatures.