leaf beet

3.5

A vegetable with large green leaves and thick stalks that people grow for its edible stems and leaves

noun
/liːf biːt/

: acelga

The chef sautéed leaf beet with garlic for a flavorful side dish.

Examples

Unlike beets grown for their roots, leaf beet is valued for its nutritious leaves.
In the garden, leaf beet thrives in cooler weather and produces abundant greens.
I love to eat leaf beet in my salads.
My grandmother grows leaf beets in her garden.
In the garden, leaf beet thrives in cooler weather and produces abundant greens.
The chef sautéed leaf beet with garlic for a flavorful side dish.
Unlike beets grown for their roots, leaf beet is valued for its nutritious leaves.

Synonyms

chard

vsleaf beet

8 4.8

A leafy vegetable with large green leaves and thick stems eaten cooked or raw

is the more formal full name rather than the shortened everyday term

Swiss chard

vsleaf beet

3 3.0

A leafy green vegetable with large leaves and thick colorful stalks

is the same plant but called by another common name

Beta vulgaris cicla

vsleaf beet

Specialized

6.7

A leafy green vegetable with large edible leaves and thick stalks used like spinach

is the ordinary common name rather than a scientific label

spinach beet

vsleaf beet

4.2

A leafy vegetable grown for its leaves and stalks instead of its root

is the general vegetable type term, not a variety label

Surface Forms

leaf beet singular

leaf beets plural

Morphology

leaf + beet

The noun–noun compound is directly compositional: 'leaf' (edible leaves) + 'beet' (a beet plant) yields a beet whose leaves are eaten (Swiss chard). This follows a common compounding pattern and a B1 learner who knows both constituents can reasonably infer the intended vegetable sense.

Etymology

Leaf beet joins leaf and beet: it is a plant related to the beet whose large green leaves and thick stalks are eaten instead of the root. So, the name means a vegetable (also called 'Swiss chard') grown for its edible leaves and stems.