What does "turnip" mean?
The white root of a yellow-flowered plant, Brassica rapa, grown as a vegetable and as fodder for cattle.
Turnip
/ˈtɝ.nɪp/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The white root of a yellow-flowered plant, Brassica rapa, grown as a vegetable and as fodder for cattle.
- Grammar: turnip is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: brassica rapa, chronometer, clock, crop plant.
- Usage evidence: The gardener won first prize for the largest turnip grown in the spring harvest.
How to use "turnip"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "turnip" 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 "turnip" 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 "turnip" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "turnip" 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 "turnip" is acting as noun, verb, slang 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 "brassica rapa" 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 "turnip", 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 The white root of a yellow-flowered plant, Brassica rapa, grown as a vegetable and as fodder for cattle.
"The ancient Roman gastronomists considered the turnip, when prepared in the following manner, a dish fit for epicures: "After boiling, extract the water from them, and season with cummin, rue, or benzoin, pounded in a mortar; afterward add honey, vinegar, gravy, and boiled grapes. Allow the whole to simmer, and serve.""
- 2 root of any of several members of the mustard family wordnet
- 3 The yellow root of a related plant, the swede or Brassica napus. Atlantic-Canada, Cornwall, Ireland, Northern-England, Scotland
- 4 widely cultivated plant having a large fleshy edible white or yellow root wordnet
- 5 The white root of Raphanus sativus var. longipinnatus, also known as a daikon. Hong-Kong
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 The root of the yam bean, Pachyrhizus erosus; jicama. Malaysia, Singapore, broadly
- 7 Clipping of turnip watch abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, dated
- 8 A fool or simpleton. slang
""Dost thou not believe, thou twittering turnip?""
Verb
- 1 To plant with turnips. transitive
"This identical field has been turniped before, and to good account, in a favourable winter."
- 2 To feed or graze (livestock) on turnips. transitive
"The Leicesters and half-breds are purchased by farmers who keep no breeding stock: they are well turniped during the winter, and clipped and fattened in the following season."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The gardener won first prize for the largest turnip grown in the spring harvest."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "turnip"?
Common synonyms include: brassica rapa, chronometer, clock, crop plant, cultivated plant, edible root.
How do you use "turnip" in a sentence?
The gardener won first prize for the largest turnip grown in the spring harvest.
How do you pronounce "turnip"?
Pronounced /ˈtɝ.nɪp/.
Etymology
From Middle English turnepe, probably from turn + Middle English nepe, from Old English nǣp, from Latin nāpus. The component turn may be due to the round shape of the plant as though turned on a lathe, or because it must be turned and twisted to be harvested. Cognate to neep. See also parsnip.