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

Amalfi Cucina Italiana’s food specials include a $13 mussels and clams appetizer, $13 10-inch margarita pizzas and $14 eggplant parmigiana. —Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026

The bademjan stands out as a deeply savory eggplant dish. —Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 14 Feb. 2026

Chinese eggplants roast quickly and are easy to turn into a creamy red pepper dip. —Faye Levy, Oc Register, 11 Feb. 2026

Mornings begin at your own pace with homemade granola and shakshuka before heartier lunches and dinners of chicken tagine, lamb kebabs and roasted eggplant with colourful zesty salads mostly plucked from the on-site vegetable garden. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Feb. 2026

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