parsley
Definitions
Food
- A hardy biennial plant with either bright green very curly leaves, Petroselinum crispum, or flat duller leaves, P. crispum ‘Neapolitanum’. The flat-leaved variety which is common outside the UK has a stronger flavour. It is very widely used as a culinary herb, as a decoration or garnish either in sprigs or chopped, and as an essential part (esp. the stalks) of a bouquet garni.
Travel
- noun a green herb with either curly or flat leaves, used in cooking as a flavouring or garnish
Origin & History of “parsley”
The ultimate source of parsley is Greek petrōselínon, a compound formed from pétrā ‘rock’ (source of English petrify, petrol, etc) and sélīnon ‘parsley’ (source of English celery). From it was descended Latin petroselīnum, which in post-classical times became petrosilium. this passed into English in two distinct phases: first, direct from Latin in the Old English period as petersilie, and secondly, in the 13th century via Old French peresil as percil. By the 14th century these had started to merge together into percely, later parsley.
