Brassica
/ˈbræs.ɪ.kə/noun
A genus of plants in the mustard family, including cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and related crops.
Did you know?Brassica is an old Latin plant word that survived into science almost unchanged, and it became the name of an entire crop family that has fed empires for centuries.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Rome
Latin
brassica
“cabbage; a cabbage-like plant”
Late Latin
Latin
brassica
“cabbage, cole crop”
Old French
French
bressicca / brassica
“cabbage-like plant term in learned and regional use”
16th Century
English
brassica
“a learned botanical term for cabbages and related plants”
Modern English
English
brassica
“a genus of cruciferous plants including cabbage, broccoli, and mustard relatives”