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Eruca vesicaria sativa

Eruca vesicaria sativa

7.4
A leafy green with a peppery taste used in salads
  • noun
  • /ɪˈruːkə ˌvɛsɪˈkɛəriə səˈtivə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : rúcula
  • The chef garnished the dish with fresh Eruca vesicaria sativa leaves for a peppery flavor.

Examples

  • Many Mediterranean dishes feature Eruca vesicaria sativa as a primary salad ingredient.

  • Gardeners appreciate how quickly Eruca vesicaria sativa grows from seed to harvest.

  • I love adding Eruca vesicaria sativa to my salads.

  • Have you tried Eruca vesicaria sativa in your dishes?

  • Many Mediterranean dishes feature Eruca vesicaria sativa as a primary salad ingredient.

  • The chef garnished the dish with fresh Eruca vesicaria sativa leaves for a peppery flavor.

  • Gardeners appreciate how quickly Eruca vesicaria sativa grows from seed to harvest.

Synonyms

arugula
vsEruca vesicaria sativa
  • US
22 5.7

A leafy green plant with slightly spicy leaves often used in salads

is the botanical species name rather than the casual culinary word
rocket
vsEruca vesicaria sativa
  • UK
17 2.6

A leafy green plant with a peppery taste used in salads

is the formal scientific name rather than the everyday common term
Eruca sativa
vsEruca vesicaria sativa
  • Specialized
7.2

A leafy green with small peppery leaves used in salads

is the fuller scientific name for that plant species
roquette
vsEruca vesicaria sativa
  • UK
8.1

A green leaf with a peppery taste used in salads

is the scientific-style name rather than the common culinary name
garden rocket
vsEruca vesicaria sativa
  • UK
4.7

A leafy plant with a strong peppery taste often used in salads

is the formal species name rather than the casual garden label
rocket salad
vsEruca vesicaria sativa
  • UK
3.0

A leafy green with a slightly spicy taste often eaten raw in salads

is the strict botanical species name not the culinary phrase

Surface Forms

Morphology

Eruca + Vesicaria + sativa

The name is a transparent botanical composition: a genus name (Eruca) plus species/epithet (vesicaria sativa), and the constituent 'sativa' explicitly means 'cultivated'. A B1 learner who knows the provided definitions would reasonably infer this refers to a cultivated herb/plant (arugula/rocket) used in salads, so the meaning is derivable from the parts.

Etymology

Eruca vesicaria sativa may come from old Latin words: Eruca was a name for a leafy plant or 'caterpillar', vesicaria pointed to its small pouch-like seed pods, and sativa means 'cultivated'. So the whole name tells gardeners and cooks that this is the grown salad plant we call arugula or rocket.