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

In a bowl, combine softened butter with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, Italian seasoning, celery salt, and garlic paste (made by smashing garlic cloves with salt, then mincing it and mashing it with the side of your knife). —Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 May 2026

My cocktail, Jesus Can’t Hit a Curveball, was decidedly undramatic in the looks department, but its combination of gin, ginger, celery and serrano peppers was phenomenally vegetal and refreshing. —Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, 7 May 2026

These two greens also have similar soil moisture needs and compatible root growth, thanks to celery's shallow roots and cabbage's deeper ones. —Nishaa Sharma, The Spruce, 7 May 2026

Reduce the heat to medium and add the celery, garlic, onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to the drippings in the pot. —Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 4 May 2026

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

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