arugula

noun

aru·​gu·​la ə-ˈrü-gə-lə 

-gyə-

: a yellowish-flowered Mediterranean herb (Eruce sativa synonym E. vesicaria sativa) of the mustard family cultivated for its foliage which is used especially in salads

called also garden rocket, rocket, roquette, rugola

Examples of arugula in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Then loaded with a tangled heap of arugula and radicchio tossed in my colleague Emma Laperruque’s bracing Three-Minute Red Wine Vinaigrette? —The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 3 Apr. 2026

The vegetables that thrive with less sunlight — spinach, lettuce, kale, arugula, Swiss chard, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage — happen to be everyday staples that show up on most shopping lists week after week. —Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Apr. 2026

Recently, there was an overflowing plate of wild, peppery arugula with a gardens worth of fresh herbs and colorful flowers tangled with spring peas. —Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026

Fresh peas and arugula cook alongside the gnocchi, while a touch of cream and Parmesan creates a rich sauce. —Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 31 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Italian, probably from a southern dialectal form of Tuscan ruca, rucola, as Neapolitan arucola, arucolo, with English spelling -gu- reflecting lenis articulation of consonants and reduction of vowels — more at rocket entry 1

Note: For similar reflection in English spelling of southern Italian articulation compare agita, goombah. Forms with the initial ēr- of the Latin etymon ērūca "arugula, Eruca vesicaria" opened to ar- are widespread in Italian dialects—see Lessico etimologico italiano, letter E, columns 733-34.

First Known Use

1960, in the meaning defined above