What does "chicory" mean?
Either of two plants of the Asteraceae family.
Chicory
/ˈtʃɪkəɹi/ noun
noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Either of two plants of the Asteraceae family.
- Grammar: chicory is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: succory, beverage, bitter greens, chicory plant.
- Usage evidence: Wash the chicory and remove the leaves which may spoil.
How to use "chicory"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "chicory" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "chicory" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "chicory" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "chicory" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "chicory" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "succory" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "chicory", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Either of two plants of the Asteraceae family. countable
"Endive—is another species of chicory, and a native of the East Indies. It was introduced into this country in 1548, is a hardy annual, requires a rich soil to secure its rapid maturity, and is blanched by tying up the leaves when it has attained its full growth. [...] It is used as a salad, ragout, or as a constituent of soups, &c.; and is considered very digestible and well adapted as a green vegetable for those who have delicate digestive organs."
- 2 crisp spiky leaves with somewhat bitter taste wordnet
- 3 Either of two plants of the Asteraceae family.; Common chicory (Cichorium intybus), source of Belgian endive, radicchio, and certain other cultivars with other names. British, countable, uncountable
"sugarloaf chicory"
- 4 root of the chicory plant roasted and ground to substitute for or adulterate coffee wordnet
- 5 Either of two plants of the Asteraceae family.; Endive (Cichorium endivia), the source of escarole and frisée. Canada, US, countable, uncountable
"The leaves of the cultivated chicory, endive, when blanched, form an ingredient in early spring salads."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 perennial Old World herb having rayed flower heads with blue florets cultivated for its root and its heads of crisp edible leaves used in salads wordnet
- 7 A coffee substitute made from the roasted roots of the common chicory, sometimes used as a cheap adulterant in real coffee. uncountable
"The Coffee planters have invariably waged war against the use of Chicory, under the conscientious conviction that every ounce of Chicory consumed in England displaced an ounce of their Coffee in the market. [...] That the prudent, sensible, moderate use of Chicory has been abused, there can be no question; but the same remark applies to everything which has every been found useful in any branch of manufacture whatever."
- 8 the dried root of the chicory plant: used as a coffee substitute wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Wash the chicory and remove the leaves which may spoil."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "chicory"?
Common synonyms include: succory, beverage, bitter greens, chicory plant, chicory root, cichorium intybus.
How do you use "chicory" in a sentence?
Wash the chicory and remove the leaves which may spoil.
How do you pronounce "chicory"?
Pronounced /ˈtʃɪkəɹi/.
Etymology
From Late Middle English cicoree, cicory, cicorea, sicory, sycory (“common chicory (Cichorium intybus); heliotrope”), from Old French cicoree (modern French chicorée (“common chicory; endive; coffee substitute made from common chicory”)), or directly from its etymon Medieval Latin cicorea, cichorea, *cichōria, from Latin cichorium, cichoreum (“common chicory; endive”), from Ancient Greek κίχορα (kíkhora), κιχόρεια (kikhóreia), neuter plural of κιχώριον (kikhṓrion, “chicory”). The English word is cognate with Italian cicórea, and is a doublet of succory.