cauliflower
noun
- type of cabbage
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.
- 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.”
- The edible head or curd of a cauliflower plant.
- 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.
- 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.”