Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A variety of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare var. dulce) whose blanched aromatic, celerylike stalks are eaten as a vegetable. Also called Florence fennel, sweet fennel.
Wiktionary
- n. A fennel cultivar with a bulb-like structure at its base, used as a vegetable; Florence fennel (Foeniculum vulgare var. azoricum).
- n. derogatory slang A male homosexual. (in β-forms, rare) A lesbian.
WordNet 3.0
- n. aromatic bulbous stem base eaten cooked or raw in salads
Etymologies
- From the Italian finocchio ("fennel”, (derogatory): “male homosexual"). (Wiktionary)
- Italian, from Latin fēniculum, fennel, diminutive of faenum, fēnum, hay; see dhē(i)- in Indo-European roots. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“Florentine fennel, also known as finocchio by Italian cooks, looks like a flattened bunch of celery with a bulbous base and feathery green leaves.”
“Fennel: Florentine fennel, also called finocchio, resembles a pregnant bunch of celery.”
“Florence fennel, also called finocchio, is cultivated throughout the Mediterranean and in the United States.”
“Here in southern Italy we do a lot of wild chicory and wild finocchio and another green I don't know the name of in English.”
“I just wanted to say to Peter that Marathoryza (or finocchio as they call it nowadays) was well known to Greeks since ancient years and was highly appreciated for its pharmaceutical properties.”
Recipe: Fennel-Scented Black-eyed Peas and Wild Greens (Φασόλια Μαυρομάτικα με Χόρτα και Μάραθο)
“We plan on making finocchio salad when we invite guests to our summer home this year!”
“At first we weren't sure about trying the finocchio, but after making our finocchio salad it blew our mind.”
““Essential oil content and chemical composition of finocchio fennel.””
Simon & Schuster: On Food and Cooking, The Science and Lore of the Kitchen
“He'd evidently gotten quite successful at it, for Aldanto got halfway through his finocchio soup before he noticed Marco standing there, twisting his cap nervously in his hands.”
“Newfoundland dog; his voice, strong for a vegetarian, -- for he sells onions and broccoli, celery and tomatoes, _finocchio_ and mushrooms, -- is like tearing a firm rag: how long can it last, subjected to such use?”
The Continental Monthly, Vol. 1, No. 4, April, 1862 Devoted To Literature And National Policy
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘finocchio’.
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cc
impeccable, accouterment, accoutrement, cc, access, baccivorous, desiccant, floccular, successor, occidental, laccolithic, laccolith and 143 more...
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Not 250 Spelling Words Again
Yet more spelling words for intermediate to advanced spellers.
kyoodle, heimin, feis, menarche, cordwainer, gherao, zythum, accidie, anastomosis, boustrophedon, oleum, penicillin and 238 more...
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Foodie
As much fun to say as they are to eat.
blueberry, cider, almond, apricot, asparagus, banana, fudge, foldover, flapjacks, filbert, fig, biscuit and 217 more...
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Italiano
Italian words.
mammone, menefreghista, pistacchio, gongolare, ingrifato, aiuole, derattizzazione, cafone, spruzzare, cocco, ma va, gatta ci cova and 120 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for finocchio.
bilby I'm dying to hear Nick Cave's gothic finocchio ode of woe. Apr 19, 2008
reesetee Really, Pro--you don't have to. ;-) Apr 18, 2008
Prolagus So now I should quote, let's say, Nick Cave. Apr 18, 2008
bilby It's used in the second sense often. Consider the lyrics of the brilliant song La Legge Giusta:
"...
Un giorno sul ponte di Messina
Passeremo con le jeep
E ricorderai che non si scherza
con chi decide e chi comanda
Con i tuoi amici marocchini
E quei finocchi intellettuali
Farete meglio a stare zitti
Se tenete alla vostra testa
..."
- La Legge Giusta, Modena City Ramblers. Finocchi's at about 2:41 on the video if you're listening. Apr 18, 2008
kewpid when has it been used in the second sense?
Apr 18, 2008
Prolagus Believe me, there is a reason. Apr 18, 2008
bilby Italian - 1. fennel; 2. queer, gay, poof. Apr 18, 2008