rhubarb

noun

rhu·​barb ˈrü-ˌbärb 

1

a

: any of a genus (Rheum) of Asian plants of the buckwheat family having large leaves with thick petioles often used as food

also : the petioles of rhubarb

b

: the tart, succulent, usually pink or red petioles of rhubarb used especially in pies and preserves

2

: the dried rhizome and roots of any of various rhubarbs (such as Rheum officinale and R. palmatum) grown chiefly in temperate parts of China and used in folk medicine especially as a laxative, diuretic, and ulcer treatment

3

: a heated dispute or controversy

Synonyms

• altercation
• argle-bargle [chiefly British]
• argument
• argy-bargy [chiefly British]
• battle royal
• bicker
• brawl
• contretemps
• controversy
• cross fire
• disagreement
• dispute
• donnybrook
• falling-out
• fight
• hassle
• imbroglio
• kickup
• misunderstanding
• quarrel
• row
• scrap
• set-to
• spat
• squabble
• tiff
• wrangle

Examples of rhubarb in a Sentence

The coach got into a rhubarb with the umpire.

a basketball coach whose ranting rhubarbs with officials are the stuff of legend

Recent Examples on the Web

Stored unwashed in the fridge, either in an open food-grade bag or loosely wrapped in foil, rhubarb should last a week or two. —Aaron Hutcherson, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2024

Others may be more inclined toward the seasonal dishes that await us on a springtime spread: rhubarb pies, cream cake topped with fresh fruit, creatively decorated Easter egg cookies, and—of course, carrot cake. —Sunset Magazine, 25 Mar. 2024

In spring that means a first course of yellowtail and sea buckthorn followed by scallop and rhubarb, cod and apple, duck and broccoli rabe, and a finale of almond and maple. —Madeline Weinfield, Travel + Leisure, 22 Mar. 2024

Get the recipe: Big-Batch Rosemary Lemonade Drink: Pink Rhubarb Lemonade Make the most of your Farmers' market haul by turning in-season rhubarb into one lip-smacking sipper! —Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Feb. 2024

Yeo Valley organic kefir yogurt contains 14 different live cultures and comes in tasty flavors like rhubarb, blueberry, strawberry and mango and passionfruit. —Joanne Shurvell, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024

Dessert just tastes sweeter in the springtime, and our favorite spring dessert recipes highlight all the wonders of the season—tangy rhubarb, sweet strawberries, juicy apricots, and much more. —Zoe Denenberg, Bon Appétit, 20 Mar. 2024

Crowding the shelves of boutiques and pharmacies are perfumes that smell like Calabrian citron, rhubarb and violet. —Molly Young, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2024

Don’t sleep on the summer soups, chilled recipes that imaginatively bring together such ingredients as rhubarb and spiced granola. —Alia Akkam, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English rubarbe, from Anglo-French reubarbe, from Medieval Latin reubarbarum, alteration of rha barbarum, literally, barbarian rhubarb

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

rhubarb

noun

rhu·​barb ˈrü-ˌbärb 

1

: a plant related to buckwheat and having large green leaves with thick juicy pink or red stems that are used for food

2

: a heated dispute or argument

Medical Definition

rhubarb

noun

rhu·​barb ˈrü-ˌbärb 

1

: any of several plants of the genus Rheum having large leaves with thick succulent petioles often used as food

2

: the dried rhizome and roots of any of several rhubarbs (especially Rheum officinale and R. palmatum) grown in China and Tibet and used as a purgative and stomachic