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Glite Dictionary
common fennel

common fennel

3.2
A Mediterranean plant with feathery leaves and seeds used in cooking that taste like anise
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : hinojo común
  • I added common fennel to the salad.

Examples

  • The seeds of common fennel are used in many Mediterranean dishes.

  • She added fresh common fennel leaves to the salad for extra flavor.

  • I planted common fennel in my herb garden to attract butterflies.

  • Do you like using common fennel in your dishes?

  • Common fennel adds a distinct flavor to Italian sausage dishes.

  • I sprinkled crushed seeds of fennel on my roasted vegetables for an aromatic taste.

  • The chef garnished the salad with fresh fennel leaves to enhance its flavor.

Synonyms

fennel
vscommon fennel
3 3.0

Thin feathery leaves that you use to flavor food

refers to the entire aromatic plant including seeds rather than only leaves
Foeniculum vulgare
vscommon fennel
  • Specialized
7.5

A strong smelling herb with feathery leaves and seeds that taste like licorice used in cooking and herbal medicine

focuses on cooking use rather than medicinal use

Surface Forms

common fennel singular
common fennels plural

Morphology

common + fennel

The noun phrase is directly compositional: 'fennel' names the plant and 'common' simply specifies it as an ordinary/widely occurring variety, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer the meaning. This adjective+noun pattern is a regular, cross-linguistic modifier construction and not idiomatic, making the expression transparently interpretable.

Etymology

Common fennel comes from an old Latin word meaning 'little hay' because its dry stems and seeds give a sweet, hay-like smell and were used long ago for food and medicine. That's why common fennel today means the aromatic plant people use in cooking for its warm, sweet 'flavor'.