Beetroot
/ˈbiːt.ruːt/noun
The edible root of a beet plant, especially the red variety used as a vegetable.
Did you know?The first word, beet, ultimately comes from Latin beta, and the second half, root, was added in English to distinguish the edible underground part from the leafy tops—so the name is literally a botanical clarification, not a mystical one.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bʰeyd-
“To split or cut; the root behind the ancient plant name is uncertain, but the early word likely referred to the beet as a cultivated plant.”
Latin
Latin
beta
“Beet; the cultivated plant.”
Old English
OE
bete
“Beet, the edible plant.”
Middle English
English
beet
“Beet; the plant and its edible root.”
16th Century
English
beet root
“The underground edible root of the beet plant, distinguished from the leaves.”
Modern English
English
beetroot
“The edible root of the beet plant.”