Garlic
/ˈɡɑːr.lɪk/noun
A pungent bulb of the onion family used as a seasoning and in traditional medicine.
Did you know?Garlic’s Old English name likely meant “spear leek,” and its fierce smell made it a legendary protective plant in folk magic across Europe.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*garailika-
“likely a compound meaning "spear-leek" or "spear-shaped leek"”
Old English
OE
gārleac
“garlic; literally "spear-leek"”
Middle English
ME
garlek
“garlic”
Modern English
English
garlic
“the pungent bulb used as a seasoning”