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

One of Washington's go-to dinners is a lemon chicken sheet-pan meal made with chicken breast, potatoes, carrots, celery, lemon and red onion. — Sharon Lawson, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026

Buffalo Chicken Wings with Blue Cheese Dressing Carrot and celery sticks add crisp crunch to a platter of these Buffalo Chicken Wings with Blue Cheese Dressing. — Jasmine Thompson, Midwest Living, 20 Aug. 2026

Stir in celery and white and light green scallion parts until well combined. — Marianne Williams, Southern Living, 20 Aug. 2026

Drain onion and add to bowl along with 2 large celery stalks, any leaves reserved, thinly sliced, one 15-oz. — Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 Aug. 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

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