turnip

noun

tur·​nip ˈtər-nəp 

1

a

: either of two biennial herbs of the mustard family with thick edible roots:

(1)

: one (Brassica rapa rapifera) with globular often flattened roots and leaves that are cooked as a vegetable

(2)

: rutabaga

b

: the root of a turnip

2

: a large pocket watch

Examples of turnip in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Vegetables: Now is the time to germinate seeds of cole crops: cabbage, Chinese Cabbage, Bok Choy, collard greens, turnips, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, mustard greens, and radishes. —Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 1 Aug. 2024

The estate’s online description notes that management offsets the animals’ carbon footprint by planting vast areas of stubble turnips as ground cover. —Shawn Tully, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2024

Its rump was wide and its head narrow, and its belly tapered from one end to the other in roughly the shape of a turnip. —Caleb Crain, The New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2024

Get The Recipe 23 of 45 Roasted Carrots and Parsnips Although designed for carrots and parsnips, this recipe is ultra flexible and can be made with sweet potatoes and turnips too. —Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 20 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English turnepe, probably from turnen to turn + nepe neep; from the well-rounded root

First Known Use

1539, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

turnip

noun

tur·​nip ˈtər-nəp 

1

: either of two herbs related to cabbage with thick edible roots:

a

: one with usually white roundish roots and leaves that are cooked as a vegetable when young and tender

b

: rutabaga

2

: the root of a turnip