noun · femininefirst declension
brassica
brassica f (genitive brassicae)
Classical[ˈbras.sɪ.ka]Ecclesiastical[ˈbras.si.ka]
Meaning
- feminineespecially cabbage, but including cauliflower and other varieties of Brassica oleracea
Declension
| form | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | brassica | brassicae |
| genitive | brassicae | brassicārum |
| dative | brassicae | brassicīs |
| accusative | brassicam | brassicās |
| ablative | brassicā | brassicīs |
| vocative | brassica | brassicae |
brassĭca, ae, f.,
I. cabbage; of several varieties (much prized by the ancients, and freq. employed in medicine), Cato, R. R. 156 sq.; Col. 10, 127 sq. Schneid.; 11, 3, 23; Plin. 19, 8, 41, § 136 sq.; 20, 9, 33, § 78 sq.; Pall. Febr. 24, 7; id. Jun. 4; id. Sept. 13, 1; id. Aug. 5, 3; Veg. 3, 15, 12; Plin. Val. 4, 29; Plaut. Ps. 3, 2, 26; Prop. 4 (5), 2, 44.al. (in Cic. N. D. 2, 47, 120, perh. a gloss; v. Orell. N. cr.).—Plur.: brassĭcae, ārum, f., varieties of cabbage, Cato, R. R. 187, 3; Plin. 20, 9, 37, § 96.
Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
brassica ae, f
cabbage, Pr.
Origins
Unknown origin. Suggested derivations include a contraction of praesecāre, a compound of prae- (“before, in front”) + secāre (“to cut, to cut off”), interpreted as either “to cut off early” – referring to its harvesting during the autumn for early winter food – or as “to cut off the head”, attested in the latter sense in a Plautus comedy.
Borrowings
- Englishbrassica
- Irishpraiseachfrom Old Irish praissech
- Welshbresychfrom Proto-Brythonic *brėsɨx
- Proto-Slavic*brosky
- Serbo-Croatianraštika
- TranslingualBrassica
Elsewhere
- Italianbrasca
In English words that came into English from brassica
- brassicabrassica