Truffle
/ˈtrʌf.əl/noun
A highly prized underground fungus with a strong aroma, often used in fine cuisine.
Did you know?The word ultimately traces back through French and Italian to Latin, and the same ancient root behind it also gave English words like “truffle”’s distant cousins for lumps and tubers—proof that even luxury can start in the dirt.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
tuber
“a swelling, lump, or tuber”
Late Latin
Latin
tufera
“a truffle; a lump-like underground fungus”
Old French
Old French
trufle
“truffle”
Middle English
English
truffle
“a truffle; later also a confection shaped like the fungus”
Modern English
English
truffle
“a highly prized edible underground fungus”