celery

noun

cel·​ery ˈse-lə-rē 

ˈsel-rē

plural celeries

: a European herb (Apium graveolens) of the carrot family

specifically : one of a cultivated variety (A. graveolens var. dulce) with leafstalks eaten raw or cooked

Examples of celery in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Feel free to load up the pan with sliced bell peppers, mushrooms, carrots, celery, asparagus and snap peas. —Robin Miller, AZCentral.com, 9 Oct. 2025

While pasta is cooking, add onion, carrots, celery, and salt to drippings in Dutch oven; cook over medium, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. —Elizabeth Mervosh, Southern Living, 6 Oct. 2025

Add onion, garlic, ginger, celery to hot oil and cook for 2 minutes; do not allow to brown. —Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 4 Oct. 2025

Where exactly the celery came from is less certain. —Nick Miller, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French céleri (17th-century celeris, sceleri, Middle French scellerin), borrowed from an Upper Italian form (as Ligurian sèlarʼu, Lombard sèleri), altered from Vulgar Latin *selinum (Late Latin selīnon), borrowed from Greek sélīnon, perhaps from a pre-Greek substratal language

First Known Use

1664, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing celery

• celery cabbage
• celery root
• wild celery

Kids Definition

celery

noun

cel·​ery ˈsel-(ə-)rē 

plural celeries

: a European herb related to the carrot and widely grown for the thick edible stems

also : the stems of celery used for food