zucchini
Zucchini is a long, green squash, a vegetable that's especially common in backyard gardens during the summer months. In England, it's more common to call zucchinis "courgettes."
Officially, zucchini (like all squash) is considered a fruit, a large berry that grows as part of a flower. However, cooks generally treat it as a vegetable, preparing it in savory recipes ranging from baked zucchini with cheese and tomato sauce to pasta-like zucchini "noodles" to sauteed zucchini with butter and garlic. You can also shred zucchini and bake it into sweet breads and cakes. The word comes from the Italian zucca, "gourd or squash."
Definitions of zucchini
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marrow squash plant whose fruit are eaten when small
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synonyms:
courgette
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type of:
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marrow, marrow squash, vegetable marrow
any of various squash plants grown for their elongated fruit with smooth dark green skin and whitish flesh
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marrow, marrow squash, vegetable marrow
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small cucumber-shaped vegetable marrow; typically dark green
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synonyms:
courgette
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type of:
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summer squash
any of various fruits of the gourd family that mature during the summer; eaten while immature and before seeds and rind harden
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summer squash
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘zucchini'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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