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asparagus

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asparagus

Main Entry:: as·par·a·gus
Pronunciation:: \ə-ˈsper-ə-gəs, -ˈspa-rə-\
Function:: noun
Inflected Form(s):: plural as·par·a·gus
Etymology:: New Latin, genus name, from Latin, asparagus plant, from Greek asparagos; perhaps akin to Greek spargan to swell
Date:: 1545

: any of a genus (Asparagus) of Old World perennial plants of the lily family having much-branched stems, minute scalelike leaves, and narrow usually filiform branchlets that function as leaves ; especially : one (A. officinalis) widely cultivated for its edible young shoots

[asparagus illustration]

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