artichoke Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun Mediterranean thistlelike plant widely cultivated for its large edible flower head
    Cynara scolymus; artichoke plant; globe artichoke.
  2. noun a thistlelike flower head with edible fleshy leaves and heart
    globe artichoke.

WordNet

Ar"ti*choke noun
Etymology
It. articioco, perh. corrupted fr. the same word as carciofo; cf. older spellings archiciocco, archicioffo, carciocco, and Sp. alcachofa, Pg. alcachofra; prob. fr. Ar. al-harshaf, al-kharshf.
Definitions
(Bot.)
  1. The Cynara scolymus, a plant somewhat resembling a thistle, with a dilated, imbricated, and prickly involucre. The head (to which the name is also applied) is composed of numerous oval scales, inclosing the florets, sitting on a broad receptacle, which, with the fleshy base of the scales, is much esteemed as an article of food.
  2. See Jerusalem artichoke.

Webster 1913