Cauliflower
/ˈkɒl.iˌflaʊ.ər/noun
A variety of cabbage grown for its edible white flower head.
Did you know?The word comes through Italian and French from Latin roots for cabbage and flower, so this vegetable’s name is basically a botanical spell: a common plant crowned with a blossom.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
caulis
“cabbage, stem, or stalk”
Latin
Latin
flos, floris
“flower, blossom”
Medieval Italian
Italian
cavolfiore
“cabbage flower”
Old French
French
coliflori / cauliflower
“cabbage flower”
16th Century
English
cauliflorie / cauliflower
“the edible flower-head of a cabbage-like plant”
Modern English
English
cauliflower
“a cultivated cabbage with a dense edible flower head”