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

To serve, heap cooked noodles into bowls and ladle the broth and celery over the top. —Laura McLively, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2025

Add onion and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes. —Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 17 Apr. 2025

Secchi blends a mixture of yellow onion, shallot, scallion, and celery with enough olive oil to almost resemble a dressing. —Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 Apr. 2025

Listeria causes Walmart celery to be recalled in Florida and 27 other states These tickets have to be cashed at a Florida Lottery district office or the main office in Tallahassee. —David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 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