What does brocoli mean?
Brocoli is an older and largely non-standard English spelling of broccoli, the widely cultivated green vegetable belonging to the cabbage family, Brassica oleracea. Grown for its compact heads of unopened flower buds and its firm, edible stalks, broccoli is prized as a nutritious food rich in fibre, vitamin C, and other nutrients, and it is prepared by steaming, roasting, boiling, or eating raw. In everyday English it functions as a mass noun, so speakers say 'some broccoli' or 'a head of broccoli' rather than counting individual pieces, and the term also covers the vegetable's various commercial forms, including Calabrese broccoli and sprouting types. The name entered English from Italian in the seventeenth century and ultimately derives from Latin bracchium, meaning 'arm,' because the plant's branching florets resemble little arms. Although 'brocoli' survives in French and in historical English texts, contemporary English writing overwhelmingly favours the double-c spelling, making the standard form the one readers will encounter almost everywhere today.
noun"Brocoli" is a chiefly historical or non-standard variant spelling of "broccoli," a green plant of the cabbage family cultivated for its edible flowering heads and thick stalks, eaten as a vegetable.
- A green vegetable of the cabbage family (Brassica oleracea) eaten for its dense clusters of unopened flower buds and thick edible stalk.
- The edible flowering head of this plant, considered collectively or as a foodstuff.
"She steamed the brocoli until it was bright green and just tender."
"Roast the broccoli with olive oil and garlic until the edges caramelise."
"Nutritionists often praise broccoli for its high fibre and vitamin C content."
Broccoli is normally uncountable and takes no plural form. When referring to multiple units, use phrases such as 'heads of broccoli' or 'bunches of broccoli.' The Italian-style plural 'broccolis' is rare and generally avoided in careful writing.
"The market stall had several fresh heads of broccoli on display."
Broccoli's name literally means 'little arms' — Italian growers saw each branching floret as a tiny arm reaching out from the stalk.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of brocoli
The word comes from the Italian broccoli, the plural of broccolo, meaning 'cabbage sprout' or 'little shoot,' itself a diminutive of brocco, meaning 'shoot' or 'small branch.' Brocco traces back to Latin bracchium, meaning 'arm,' which is also the source of English words such as 'embrace' and 'brace.' The term entered English during the early modern period, in the seventeenth century, as the vegetable was introduced to English gardens and tables from Italy. French retains the one-'c' spelling 'brocoli,' which helps explain why the variant occasionally appears in English texts.
How brocoli is actually used
The spelling "brocoli" appears in older English texts and in some other European languages (notably French, which uses one 'c'), but in modern English usage the standard spelling is "broccoli." The word is an uncountable mass noun when referring to the vegetable generally; a single unit is called "a head of broccoli" or "a floret of broccoli."
Easily confused with brocoli
"Broccoli" is the standard modern English spelling, while "brocoli" is an older or non-standard variant of the same word.
Broccolini is a distinct hybrid vegetable (a cross between broccoli and Chinese kale) with long thin stalks and smaller florets, not simply another name for broccoli.