# eggplant

Pronunciation: US/AUS say "EG-plant" /ˈɛɡ.plænt/; UK say "EG-plahnt" /ˈɛɡ.plɑːnt/

## Noun

1. A plant of the species Solanum melongena, or its edible fruit, which has smooth, glossy, usually dark purple skin. *(Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Philippines, US)*
   - Simple: A shiny vegetable with smooth, dark purple skin that is cooked and eaten.
   - _The recipe calls for one large eggplant, peeled and cut into cubes._
   - _Gardeners in warm climates can grow eggplant from late spring through the summer._
2. A dark purple color, resembling the skin of the eggplant fruit. *(Canada, US)*
   - Simple: A deep purple color, like the skin of the vegetable with the same name.
   - _The designer chose eggplant for the fall collection's wool coats._
   - _Eggplant looks elegant against gold accents in a living room._
3. A halfpipe trick consisting of a 180-degree backside rotated invert, with the front hand planted on the lip of the wall.
   - Simple: A skating move where you flip upside down, spin halfway, and grab the ramp's top edge with your front hand.
   - _She pulled off an eggplant at the top of the halfpipe._
   - _The judges scored his eggplant high for its smooth, controlled invert._
4. A derogatory and offensive slur for a Black person, used mainly by Italian-Americans. *(slang, US)*
   - Simple: A very offensive and insulting word for a Black person.
   - _He flung the word at the family across the street, calling them eggplant as they unloaded the moving truck._
   - _Her grandfather still called the new tenants eggplant, a habit that made the whole family wince._

## Origin

Formed from egg + plant, the word was originally used only for the white, egg-shaped variety of the plant.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/eggplant (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).