eggplant

noun

egg·​plant ˈeg-ˌplant 

ˈāg-

1

a

: a widely cultivated perennial Asian herb (Solanum melongena) of the nightshade family yielding edible fruit

b

: the usually smooth ovoid typically blackish-purple or white fruit of the eggplant

2

: a dark grayish or blackish purple

Examples of eggplant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Bold hues are the name of the game, whether this means going for the kind of saturated, chili pepper–adjacent red that flooded the runways of labels like Ferragamo or embracing autumn’s fascination with all things deep purple, courtesy of an earrings pair that pays homage to the humble eggplant. —Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2025

Over the next few days, the eggplants sat in my crisper drawer, soft spots spreading across their skin like bruises. —Reem Kassis, The Atlantic, 11 Oct. 2025

The social heart is Marcus Restaurant + Terrace by chef Marcus Samuelsson, where solarium-style windows and a leafy terrace create an airy urban backdrop for dishes like fresh pasta with lobster and chili or roasted eggplant with togarashi, sweet-and-sour sauce, and Québec maple syrup. —Siobhan Reid, Vogue, 10 Oct. 2025

Unique pizza topping options include white eggplant, clam, cheesesteak and cheeseburger. —Endia Fontanez, AZCentral.com, 2 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1767, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing eggplant

• Japanese eggplant

Rhymes for eggplant

• decant
• descant
• enchant
• explant
• implant
• preplant
• recant
• replant
• secant
• supplant
• transplant
• ant

Kids Definition

eggplant

noun

egg·​plant -ˌplant 

1

: a widely cultivated herb that is related to the potato and yields edible fruit

2

: the usually glossy blackish purple egg-shaped fruit of an eggplant