The young, coiled frond of a fern before it unfurls, often eaten as a vegetable; also the carved ornamental scroll at the head of a ship's bow.
Named for the resemblance to the decorative scroll at the top of a violin's headstock, called the 'head.' Both fern fronds and ship carvings curl in that distinctive spiral.
Fiddleheads are one of the few foods named directly from a body part of a musical instrument—and they're genuinely delicious, making this one of the few playful vegetable names that actually encouraged people to eat something healthy.
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