Onion

/ˈʌnjən/ noun

Definition

A round vegetable with many layers and a strong smell and taste, often used in cooking.

Etymology

From Old French "oignon," from Latin "unio" meaning "single, one," used for a kind of large, single-bulb onion. The idea was that the bulb was one whole piece, unlike garlic, which has many cloves.

Kelly Says

The name connects to "union" and "unity"—an onion is a "one-ness" of many layers tightly packed. That’s why it’s such a perfect metaphor: peel back one layer of a problem, and there’s always another underneath.

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