What does spinach mean?
Spinach is the common name for an edible green plant and, more often in culinary contexts, for its tender leaves. It may be eaten raw in salads or cooked by steaming, boiling, sautéing, or baking, and it appears in dishes such as soups, omelets, curries, pasta dishes, and pies. Spinach has a mild flavor that pairs readily with cheese, eggs, garlic, lemon, nuts, and meat. Because it loses a substantial amount of volume when cooked, fresh spinach usually shrinks considerably during preparation. The word can denote either the whole plant when discussing cultivation or the harvested leaves when describing food. Although spinach is sometimes associated with unusually strong physical benefits, it is chiefly valued today as a nutritious leafy vegetable that can be used throughout the year.
nounSpinach is an edible leafy plant whose dark green leaves are commonly cooked or eaten raw. The term can also refer to the leaves themselves, which are rich in nutrients and commonly used in salads, soups, and cooked dishes.
- The edible leaves of a green plant, usually eaten cooked or used in salads.
- The plant producing these leaves, cultivated as a vegetable.
"She wilted fresh spinach with garlic and finished the dish with a squeeze of lemon."
"The salad contained cucumber, tomatoes, feta cheese, and spinach."
"Spinach grows well in cool weather and is often planted in early spring."
Rare in modern English; spinach is normally an uncountable mass noun.
"The recipe called for two packed cups of spinach."
Spinach is famously associated with rapid strength gains, but its nutritional reputation rests on an unusually broad mix of vitamins and minerals.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does spinach come from?
The English word spinach entered use in the 16th century through French forms such as spinache. French in turn borrowed the name from Persian, and an Arabic form, ispanakh, belongs to the same broad etymological tradition. The ultimate origin of the Persian name is not securely established.
How spinach is actually used
Spinach is normally used as a mass noun, especially when referring to the leaves as food: a packet of spinach, some spinach. Plural forms such as "spinaches" are uncommon in modern English. The word is used in British and American English without a significant regional difference.