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en·dive

(ĕndīv′, ŏndēv′)

1. A plant (Cichorium endivia) in the composite family, of South Asian origin, having curled or ruffled leaves with a bitter flavor, cultivated as a salad green.

2. A variety of the common chicory (Cichorium intybus) cultivated to produce a narrow, pointed, blanched cluster of leaves used in salads. Also called Belgian endive, witloof.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Medieval Latin endivia, from Medieval Greek entubia, pl. diminutive of Greek entubon, from Latin intubus, of unknown origin.]

(click for a larger image)

endive

top: Belgian endive

Cichorium intybus

bottom: frisée

Cichorium endivia var. crispum

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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