Brocoli

/ˈbrɒkəli/ noun

Definition

An alternate or archaic spelling of broccoli, the green cruciferous vegetable with flowering heads.

Etymology

From Italian 'broccoli,' plural of 'brocco' (sprout), derived from Latin 'broccus' (projecting). The variant spelling 'brocoli' appeared before standardization of English vegetable terminology.

Kelly Says

Different spellings of 'broccoli' show English struggling to adopt Italian words—we couldn't decide whether to keep the Italian plural form or make it singular, and different versions persisted until modern standardization settled it.

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