The stems or shoots of the buttercup plant (genus Ranunculus), used as food in some regions or for medicinal purposes.
Possibly from Old English or dialectal terms for plant parts. The etymology is uncertain but may relate to 'ace' (sharp-pointed) or 'ceps' (head), referring to the plant's distinctive structure.
Acepots are a nearly forgotten wild food—in some parts of Europe, these buttercup shoots were actually eaten as vegetables before modern agriculture made them obscure, and they're still foraged by some traditional communities.
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