parsley

noun

pars·​ley ˈpär-slē 

: a European biennial herb (Petroselinum crispum) of the carrot family widely grown for its finely dissected curly or flat leaves which are used as an herb or garnish

also : the leaves

Examples of parsley in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Coat a 13- x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray; set aside. Make rice mixture: Whisk together cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, rice, milk, parsley, onion soup mix, mustard, salt, pepper, and 1 cup of the cheese in a large bowl. —Amanda Holstein, Southern Living, 11 Jan. 2025

Bathed in a slick garlicky sauce of olive oil, white wine, butter and parsley, the aromas erupted from the bowl and saturated every surface in its vicinity. —Claudia Alarcón, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024

The blini feature lemon zest and herbs such as parsley, chives and thyme, and the dill cream blends crème fraîche, lemon juice, shallots and dill. —Danielle Dorsey, Los Angeles Times, 22 Dec. 2024

Parmesan Red = Paprika, chili flakes Green = Pesto, parsley, cilantro Brown = Cocoa powder, chocolate flakes Dusting Tip Take a small mesh strainer and softly tap it over your dish so the glitter showers down like powdered sugar onto a cake. —Karen Yuan, Bon Appétit, 2 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English persely, from Old English petersilie, from Vulgar Latin *petrosilium, alteration of Latin petroselinum, from Greek petroselinon, from petros stone + selinon celery

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing parsley

• Chinese parsley
• fool's parsley
• giant cow parsley
• Italian parsley

Kids Definition

parsley

noun

pars·​ley ˈpär-slē 

plural parsleys

: a European herb related to the carrot and widely grown for its finely divided leaves which are used to season or decorate foods

also : the leaves

Medical Definition

parsley

noun

pars·​ley ˈpär-slē 

: a southern European annual or biennial herb (Petroselinum crispum) of the carrot family having leaves which are used as a culinary herb or garnish and a root and seeds which have been used medicinally