FENNEL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does fennel mean? 

• FENNEL (noun)
  The noun FENNEL has 4 senses:

1. any of several aromatic herbs having edible seeds and leaves and stems

2. aromatic bulbous stem base eaten cooked or raw in salads

3. leaves used for seasoning

4. fennel seeds are ground and used as a spice or as an ingredient of a spice mixture

  Familiarity information: FENNEL used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• FENNEL (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Any of several aromatic herbs having edible seeds and leaves and stems

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Hypernyms ("fennel" is a kind of...):

herb; herbaceous plant (a plant lacking a permanent woody stem; many are flowering garden plants or potherbs; some having medicinal properties; some are pests)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "fennel"):

common fennel; Foeniculum vulgare (strongly aromatic with a smell of aniseed; leaves and seeds used for seasoning)

Florence fennel; Foeniculum dulce; Foeniculum vulgare dulce (grown especially for its edible aromatic bulbous stem base)

Holonyms ("fennel" is a member of...):

Foeniculum; genus Foeniculum (very small genus of aromatic European herbs with pinnately compound leaves and yellow flowers)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Aromatic bulbous stem base eaten cooked or raw in salads

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Synonyms:

fennel; finocchio; Florence fennel

Hypernyms ("fennel" is a kind of...):

veg; vegetable; veggie (edible seeds or roots or stems or leaves or bulbs or tubers or nonsweet fruits of any of numerous herbaceous plant)

Holonyms ("fennel" is a part of...):

Florence fennel; Foeniculum dulce; Foeniculum vulgare dulce (grown especially for its edible aromatic bulbous stem base)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Leaves used for seasoning

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Synonyms:

common fennel; fennel

Hypernyms ("fennel" is a kind of...):

herb (aromatic potherb used in cookery for its savory qualities)

Holonyms ("fennel" is a part of...):

common fennel; Foeniculum vulgare (strongly aromatic with a smell of aniseed; leaves and seeds used for seasoning)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Fennel seeds are ground and used as a spice or as an ingredient of a spice mixture

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Hypernyms ("fennel" is a kind of...):

spice (any of a variety of pungent aromatic vegetable substances used for flavoring food)

 Context examples 

Bitter fennel fruit oil can be used as treatment for digestive complaints.

(Bitter Fennel Fruit Oil, NCI Thesaurus)

Fennel oil is commonly used to treat disorders of the digestive system.

(Fennel Oil, NCI Thesaurus)

Nought, my sire, save that I have heard men say that there is a dish named an olla which is prepared there, though I have never been clear in my mind as to whether it was but a ragout such as is to be found in the south, or whether there is some seasoning such as fennel or garlic which is peculiar to Spain.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)