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

The rice is there in the region’s popular eggplant dressing, dirty rice with chicken livers and in crawfish pies. — Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 14 Oct. 2026

Lovato’s dress, courtesy of Fanci Club, was a deep shade of eggplant purple and topped off with a scarlet-red lace bralette, making for a brazen club-friendly outfit only enhanced by the even more noticeable shoes. — Erin Wisti, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026

Happy eating, Cody Mutabbal Mutabbal is a Levantine eggplant dish similar to baba ganoush. — Cooking Editor, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026

Purple ankle-strap heels can add a unique touch to any little black dress, or use them to complement shades of eggplant. — Nuria Luis, Glamour, 9 Oct. 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
• supplant
• transplant
• ant
• aunt

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